The Trust Continuum: Where Do You Stand as a Leader?

Trust is not on or off, yes or no, trust or no trust. Typically trust is contextual and on a continuum.

Here are a few examples. Where on each continuum do you sit most often in your current leadership team? Are you on the Low Trust end? Or closer to the Fearless Trust end?

It’s not hard to sense and see significant differences in how executive teams operate as they move on this continuum. The impact is not just on the leadership team – it’s on the whole organisation.

On the left, energy goes into actions that make people feel safe, but don’t contribute meaningfully to the actual work or foster improved working relationships and outcomes. When trust goes down, control mechanisms – organisational and individual – proliferate.

On the right – where trust thrives – control mechanisms are released. Greater trust fosters an atmosphere of openness where leaders show greater vulnerability and are willing to take individual and collective risks. The net effect is a workplace where trust becomes the bedrock upon which stronger relationships are built, innovation flourishes and organisational outcomes are optimised.

Where would you rather be?

Go Fearlessly – Corrinne

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