When working to earn an MBA, you learn more than hard skills such as data analysis and marketing. You also spend a significant amount of time learning soft skills such as leadership abilities. As a leader, gaining trust from those you manage is crucial to success and motivation. Possibly the most important way to earn trust is by acting with integrity. The intersection between leadership, trust, and integrity is vital to understand for anyone striving to develop as a leader.
1. Leaders inspire trust through integrity
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, synonyms for integrity include honesty and principle. Remember: your team will look to you for guidance on how to act, and your attitude will significantly influence company culture. As a leader, learn how to always be honest in a kind way. When your teammates learn from experience that you are willing to help them improve in ways they need it, they will trust you much more. Additionally, honesty and integrity allow your business to remain a place where people feel comfortable expressing their ideas.
Consider your dealings with those you lead. How are you honest and open with your team? Be clear about roles and responsibilities within your team. When you are honest with your coworkers, they will gain more trust in you. There will be no second-guessing your meaning, and your subordinates will feel comfortable asking you for clarification and working their hardest.
There is a clear correlation between integrity and trust in the workplace. The more integrity you have, the easier it will be for you to develop trust with those you manage.
2. Showing integrity makes your workplace safer
Additionally, cultivating integrity makes workplaces much safer, especially for women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people of color. As diversity, equity, and inclusion continue to become more important in workplace culture, it’s important to remember that everyone is different — and as such, each individual brings new, important perspectives to the table. By allowing every team member to have a strong voice in your projects and increasing collaboration, you’ll easily be able to foster an atmosphere of inclusive collaboration. This ensures the projects you are working on have the best outcome.
Additionally, any worker experiencing problems in the workplace will feel more comfortable discussing any issues with a supervisor they trust. As your integrity increases trust, your employees will come to you with any problems they see, enabling you to eliminate issues at the root and create a happier, safer environment for everyone involved.
3. Trust begets integrity and vice versa
Values, especially those shown by leaders, are contagious — in a good way. The more integrity and trust you show in your team members, the more you can expect in return. Do your employees trust you to take their suggestions seriously? Do you quickly take care of problems and take accountability for your mistakes? The more you do these things, the more your employees will, too.
Trust and integrity are essential to good leadership. Take a look at your role and the role of your coworkers or employees. How can you include more integrity and trust in your day-to-day roles and expectations? Try implementing new practices to increase the integrity and trust in your workplace and wait for the results to appear.