Demonstrating character is by far one of the most essential skills of a leader you can develop. What behaviors do you expect representatives of your organization to exhibit? What values do you expect them to possess? Are you modeling the behaviors you want to see from your team? Demonstrating character is practicing what you preach. Promoting character is holding others accountable when they fail to adhere to those high standards. Lead from the front and set the example. This is how you become a leader.
Trust actually goes hand-in-hand with character. People will follow a leader, even when the mission is not fully defined. Why? Because they trust him. He made an effort to know them and understand them and that is what won them over.
How do you build that trust? One of the skills of a leader is active listening. Listen to your people and get to know them. They will tell you everything you need to know in your conversations with them. They may not tell you directly, but if you listen and ask great questions you’ll discover their passions, their desires, and their goals. Imagine the trust you’ll build when you take that powerful information and use it in your people’s development.
Are you supporting your people in all that they do? A true test of this is how you handle adversity. Be accountable by absorbing the heat when things go wrong. When you do this, your team has a safe place to fail. When things go well, pass all of the praise onto your people. Show modesty when accepting any praise on behalf of the time. Downplay your role and let your folks know it was their efforts that led to the team’s success. You just helped a little along the way. Do this well and your team will see that you trust them.
As a brand new leader, you’re obviously excited about the challenges ahead. You’ve done the work and done it well, showed initiative, and perhaps developed some essential leadership skills as a mentor. This has earned you the privilege of a leadership role. How can you best reach your people, early on, and show them what you’re all about? Demonstrate your character and build their trust. Let your values define high standards for conduct. Live those values every day. Develop a connection with each of your people and trust that they will execute the duties of their jobs. You will find them trusting you and following you in return.
There are reasons why we succeed and why we fail. There are reasons why we find it hard to trust and others find it hard to trust us. Knowing these reasons can help make you a better leader. Download your FREE e-book, “The Human Condition”, and start learning these reasons and uncovering the keys to a better life for you and your people.
Seth Czerepak is a Personal Achievement Expert, the Vice President of VQ Success and creator of the behavioral transformation strategy “Value Driven Transcendence”, a powerful combination of Axiology Science, Human Needs Psychology and NLP.
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