Team Trust Building

Leading at Light Speed is a new leadership book for anyone and everyone who cares to build high performance organizations that perform at very high levels, as measured by profitability, growth, and customer retention. Read the following excerpt from the book on Building Trust.

Let’s start with the foundation of trust. Creating trust may seem like an obvious part of a leader’s job. What is not as obvious, however, is just how fundamental and important it is. Scientists have shown that our brains are hard-wired to respond favorably to those we trust. Every one of our emotions is created by trust or lack of trust. This has been the case for thousands of years. What has changed is how quickly our perceptions of trust can change. Because of the Internet and 24-hour news coverage, we have the ability to absorb new information to help us decide who we can trust.

How Trust Works

In his book How the Mind Works, Steven Pinker shows exactly how our brains are wired to respond to actions that either build trust or corrode it. He shows how trust gives rise to every one of our emotions – from love and devotion, to jealousy and betrayal. Why do we feel love? Because we trust someone and feel trusted in return. Why is it we experience anger? Because there is a feeling of mistrust. Why do we feel betrayed? Because we perceive someone isn’t keeping up his or her end of the bargain.

Trust is Based on the Principle of ________

Trust is based on the principle of reciprocity. It is a strategy designed by evolution, coded into our genetics. If you give me a hand, I’ll return the favor – especially if I think there’s a strong likelihood of repeated transactions with you in the future. Pinker explains how our minds are evolved to sense trust and reciprocity or if gaps between what we expect to receive and what we actually receive exist. This “cheater meter” is working in every conscious moment. If I think that you’ve treated me fairly, then my cheater meter is in the green. If not, it swings into the red.

People are incredibly aware of their cheater meters. You know exactly how much you trust your boss, your peers, and anyone else you know. Imagine a person you trust. Fundamentally, if you feel trust, you trust him or her to look after your interests, right? That’s reciprocity at work.

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