Sunday, September 5, 2021

Trust is a Leader's Best Friend

When I began the journey to become a school administrator many years ago, I took the typical courses that were required.  These focused on topics such as school law, instructional leadership, change management, school finance, and curriculum development, among many others. While I felt adequately prepared when I finally became a building leader, I quickly realized how valuable the on-the-job training was to my growth. Truth be told, no book or course can replace authentic experience. 

Leadership is hard. Initiating and sustaining change is even harder. Below are some thoughts I shared a few years back:

It is difficult to adequately prepare any leader for the challenges they will face as well as the decisions that will have to be made.  There are so many unique variables that just cannot be taught.  It’s tough work knowing that difficult decisions will have to be made at times, including letting staff go.  Making decisions in a time of crisis is also a topic that is regularly explored in leadership courses.  The solutions addressed always sound great in theory, but their application typically isn’t very practical.   Talking the talk must be accompanied by walking the walk. That’s the hard part. It’s relatively easy for people to tell others what they should do. However, true leaders go through the challenging work of showing how it can be done. Accomplishments and success are earned through the actions that are taken that result in evidence of improvement.   Leaders know that it is not the work of one person that moves an organization in a positive direction but rather the collective efforts of all. 

Knowing the inherent difficulties in leading, it is critical to developing an understanding of what can stymie or ensure success.  Relationships are of utmost importance, but these do not materialize out of thin air.  Trust is a leader’s best friend. Recently my publishers Jeff Zoul and Jimmy Casas, shared their views on the topic.  I encourage you to give the piece a read, as it contains some valuable insight.  As I work as a leadership coach in schools, the topic of trust comes up all the time.  The following seven elements are critical in building and sustaining trust: empathy, delegation, consensus, transparency, autonomy, feedback, and communication. 


Empathy through kindness, compassion, and gratitude is fundamental to creating powerful relationships.  Whether it is a simple thank you, consoling a staff member, or handwritten notes of appreciation, using a consistent empathetic lens pays dividends ten times over.

Delegation builds capacity by empowering others to take a leadership role. If a leader tries to do everything by themselves, the result can lead to mistrust.  Look for opportunities to develop the leadership potential in your staff.

Consensus values the input of others when implementing large-scale initiatives. When warranted, use a committee approach or create a district or school-based leadership team that contains a wide range of staff to garner input. 

Transparency validates major decisions using research and data. When there is clarity as to why decisions are made, the seeds of trust begin to take root. Transparency also infers personal accountability by a leader if things don’t work out, as a unilateral decision is made when needed.

Autonomy creates a culture that promotes the freedom to take risks and fail forward. In Disruptive Thinking, I highlighted how autonomy helps educators move beyond their fears, which leads to a pursuit of innovative practices.  Additionally, influential leaders know when to get out of the way of their staff and let them flourish. 

Feedback that is timely, specific, consistent, actionable, and focuses on a dialogue sets the stage for growth. Trust develops when leaders are always looking for ways to help their staff improve or avoid pitfalls. 

Communication, when done effectively, relies on getting the right information out at the right time using the right medium.  While disseminating information consistently and with clarity is critical, non-verbal means such as listening and body language are just as, if not more, necessary.  As I shared in Digital Leadership, you won’t find an effective leader who is not an effective communicator.

All of the elements above help a leader build trust amongst staff resulting in a positive school culture. While there is no single silver bullet, consider where there is an opportunity for growth and the actions that need to be taken to either build or strengthen relationships through trust. 

7 comments:

  1. I was intrigued by this subject while speaking with an experienced school leader about her transition to a new post with the school board. This would be her first time leading a group of principals, and she reached out to me for open feedback. I suppose she approached me because we have always had candid conversations since we have never been hesitant to express our ideas. She was apprehensive about the reaction of other principles to her new responsibilities. Trust is a critical component of good leadership, and the conversation quickly shifted to that. Because leadership is already challenging due to the various elements and scenarios that occur daily, I observed that we must trust the people in our building and trust us. We highlighted the critical nature of leaders being accessible and understanding day-to-day issues. Thus, we must continue to develop a trust-based culture. Everyone has leadership abilities and limitations in acknowledging your deficiencies and taking steps to improve that your effectiveness as a leader will be determined. We reviewed what angered us as the majority of above-district leaders and how we should prevent similar repeating actions in the future. She believes she has to improve her transparency and feedback in light of the seven pillars of developing and retaining trust.
    Additionally, she wishes to strengthen her ability for delegation and comprehension of primary autonomy. As a school leader, my greatest fear is that my staff will doubt my ability to resolve their concerns or issues. I believe that I make a concerted effort to create relational trust so that individuals can approach me and work through issues together. 

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Eric,
    Thank you for sharing your thoughts on leadership in schools. I appreciated the insight you shared, especially because you are a school administrator yourself and know firsthand what that job entails. I honestly cannot imagine filling an administrative position. I sure look up to those who do.

    When reading your blog post, I began reflecting on my district, school, and grade level in which I teach. I do not doubt that trust is a leader's best friend. As I read your blog and reflected on my district's administration team, I realized that they prioritize trust within their staff. I feel fortunate that I get to say that.

    However, as I read this, I think trust is everyone's best friend, especially in an educational environment. Trust is a must for effective collaboration (Kim, 2019). Not only does the administration, or leader, have to build trust, so does the whole school staff. To create a positive school environment for all of our students, everyone in the school must work to build trust with one another. I mean everyone; principals, teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors, lunchroom staff, and the school secretary.

    If I understand correctly, a primary point of your blog was to acknowledge that a prominent characteristic of a good leader works to build trust. Still, to ensure that the school staff will follow the leader to create positive changes for learning for our students, everyone must gain confidence in their academic position. All staff members are team players in achieving educational goals (Ackerman & Mackenzie, 2007).

    Thanks for a great read, Eric. This blog post helped me reflect on my relationships with the whole school staff and my students. I realize how important it is for a leader to build trust and for the followers to build trust so new goals can be achieved effectively.

    References

    Ackerman, R., & Mackenzie, S. (2007). Uncovering teacher leadership: Essays and voices
    from the field. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

    Kim, S. L. (2019). Enticing high performers to stay and share their knowledge: The
    importance of trust in leader. Human Resource Management, 58(4), 341–351.
    https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1002/hrm.21955

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I couldn't agree more with your analysis (and thanks for supporting your ideas with cited work). Even though my post was focused on building and district leadership, I should have made a point to acknowledge that everyone who takes action to initiate and sustain change is a leader, regardless of title, position, or power. Thanks again for adding your insights.

      Delete
  3. sorry if posted twice
    I was intrigued by this subject while speaking with an experienced school leader about her transition to a new post with the school board. This would be her first time leading a group of principals, and she reached out to me for open feedback. I suppose she approached me because we have always had candid conversations since we have never been hesitant to express our ideas. She was apprehensive about the reaction of other principles to her new responsibilities. Trust is a critical component of good leadership, and the conversation quickly shifted to that. Because leadership is already challenging due to the various elements and scenarios that occur daily, I observed that we must trust the people in our building and trust us. We highlighted the critical nature of leaders being accessible and understanding day-to-day issues. Thus, we must continue to develop a trust-based culture. Everyone has leadership abilities and limitations in acknowledging your deficiencies and taking steps to improve that your effectiveness as a leader will be determined. We reviewed what angered us as the majority of above-district leaders and how we should prevent similar repeating actions in the future. She believes she has to improve her transparency and feedback in light of the seven pillars of developing and retaining trust.
    Additionally, she wishes to strengthen her ability for delegation and comprehension of primary autonomy. As a school leader, my greatest fear is that my staff will doubt my ability to resolve their concerns or issues. I believe that I make a concerted effort to create relational trust so that individuals can approach me and work through issues together.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like the angle of relational trust. There will always be some doubt as it is impossible to make everyone happy. The key is to consistently lead by example and make the efforts as you noted.

      Delete
  4. Hi Eric!
    I agree with you!
    I am a third year teacher and I am working on my confidence to initiate change! What did you do to find your voice!
    Thank you for your response!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree with you!
    I am a 4th year teacher and have switched have recently switched positions in my district. I am working on my confidence to initiate change! What did you do to find your voice?!
    Thank you for your response in advance!!

    ReplyDelete