Trust and Unity

Before I present this week’s read, I would like to share a personal story with you that relates directly to last weeks. I was at a meeting this week with a great group of leaders. I returned to my hotel room one evening to find an envelope had been passed under my door. I opened it and found a hand-written note full of encouraging, inspiring words that spoke value to me. I was blown away that someone would take the time to handwrite me a note that was sincere in its content. I have read and re-read that note at least a dozen times this week. Not only did I feel valued by the words in this note, but I was convinced that the writer genuinely appreciated me and that I was a valuable component of ‘the team’. 

Another thing that impressed me significantly was the level of trust that was strengthened in me toward the author and the level of mutual trust and appreciation between the two of us. I will use that, as an opportunity to now lead into this week’s article. 

When it comes to teams and team unity, enough can not be said about the value and importance of trust. It seems like today trust is on the decline. You hear professional athletes stating they do not trust the ownership of their team. We hear stories of would-be business deals that fail because there was no trust or trust failed between parties. Trust must exist for both teams and leaders to be successful. Without Trust there can be no Unity. 

What exactly is trust? Trust is defined, in my opinion most accurately as, “A reliance on the integrity, strength, and surety of a person…” Let us briefly look at how each of these impacts and builds trust and, how the absence of each erodes trust. Integrity. Integrity is the adherence to moral and ethical principles that create character and honesty by someone. So, the presence of integrity allows trust to be built. It allows a person to be confident they can rely on the integrity, character, and honesty of another person and thus, establish trust. 

Strength. Strength in leadership are the things the leader does well like communicating value and commitment to the team and those being led. Making decisions that serve the best interests of the team members and serving team members selflessly, with no concern for what the leader will get in return. When a leader displays strength in their leadership, team members are motivated. Motivated team members willingly sacrifice for the team and give all they care capable of for the good of the team and its members without seeking anything in return. 

Surety: Surety in a leader is best seen as team members being free from doubt about the leader and being sure of what they will get from a person’s leadership. Team members know the leader will be for them, will serve them, will do what they say they will and will inspire them. Surety allows strong trust to be formed because the integrity, and strength of the leader has forged certainty on the part of team members and as a result, they trust the leadership and leader. When trust is present team members feel it is safe for them to buy-in to the team, to serve teammates and to sacrifice for the team. 

Teams whose leaders have created an environment of trust thrive. Where trust exists, there does Unity. The level of unity the team experiences is off the charts. As a result of the trust and unity, teams accomplish things that others said could not be done. They leave other teams in awe of their accomplishments and leave a clear model of what unity looks like and what it can produce. Teams where trust and unity exist are void of destructive behaviors that are detrimental to a team. Team members show up, work hard and sacrifice for each other and uphold the team’s culture and protect the reputation of the team. 

When leaders do not display integrity, do not show strength in their leadership, and do not provide surety for those they lead, they prevent trust from being established. Unity fails and distrust among team members grows. This leads to team members withholding from the team and that along with the distrust brings division which leads to a team being ineffective and shortly thereafter, destruction occurs. You have a toxic environment from which team members cannot wait to be far away from and it will not change until the leader changes. 

It is never too late to change. Ask yourself if you are providing integrity, strength, and surety through the leadership you provide those you lead. Challenge yourself to seek out any area related to this where you can improve. As level of integrity, strength, and surety the leader provides increases, so does the trust, so does the unity and so does the things the team accomplishes together. As a leader, do not allow pride to keep you from realizing areas of opportunity to strengthen what your leadership is providing for your team. Leaders do not do what they do for their own benefit. They do what they do selflessly for the benefit of the team and the benefit of its members. Leaders serve, selflessly, and one way to demonstrate that and build trust and unity is by ensuring you maximizing the integrity, strength, and surety you are providing to those you lead.