Trust

What Great Leaders Know and Do: It’s All About the Values

/ Ken Blanchard / 4 Comments

Business teamI’ve enjoyed telling you about the elements of the SERVE model from the first book I wrote with Mark Miller, The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do. Before I explain the final element, let’s review the first four, which I’ve shared over the past several weeks.

The S in the SERVE model stands for See the Future and points out the importance of having a compelling vision for the future. The first E in the model stands for Engage and Develop Others and focuses on hiring the right people for the right roles and investing in their development. The R stands for Reinvent Continuously and refers to personal reinvention, system and process reinvention, and structural reinvention. And the V in the SERVE model stands for Value Results and Relationships. For many years, leaders thought they had to choose between people and results, but in fact both elements are critical for long-term success.

The final E in the SERVE model stands for Embody the Values. Effective leadership is built on trust. Although there are many ways to build trust, I believe the easiest way is to live consistently by your values. Leaders must establish, articulate, and enforce the core values of their organization. More important, they must model the behaviors that support the values. For example, let’s say being customer focused is your number one value. If you make decisions and take actions that negatively impact the customer experience, you are not embodying that value. This gives people a reason not to trust you, which negatively impacts your effectiveness as a leader. If your decisions and actions always place the customer experience first, you’ll not only honor the values but also build trust with your team.

Remember to walk your talk to build and maintain the trust of your people. When you embody the values, you help shape the organization’s culture. When you don’t, you can damage your own leadership—and the organization.

Are you ready to start working on ways to Embody the Values? Ask yourself these questions:

  • How can I integrate our core organizational values into the way my team operates?
  • What are some ways I can communicate our values to my team over the next thirty days?
  • How can I create greater personal alignment with our values on a daily basis?
  •  How can I recognize and reward people who actively embody the values?

Establishing a leadership culture in an organization takes time and involves continuous, focused work. It starts by establishing an agreed upon leadership point of view. The elements of the SERVE model are a great place for that conversation to begin. Teach the common point of view to all current and emerging leaders. Practice it. Measure it. And model it. And remember—a servant leadership culture begins with you. Good luck on your journey, and let me hear about your progress!

 

The Power of Clear Values and a Trusting Environment

/ Ken Blanchard

bigstock-Core-Values-Concept-53563306I’ve talked often of the importance that values play in achieving your corporate vision. Your purpose as an organization tells you where you want to go as a company, but values tell you how you are going to get there.  Clearly defined values provide guidelines for how to make daily decisions that impact your future success—or failure.

I recently had the chance to hear Stephen M.R. Covey talk about the impact that the lack of trust has on all of us, and I realized something: there is another layer of underlying behavior that impacts our ability to live by our values. Trust and values actually work hand in hand to create a strong company. Continue reading →

Trust Works!

/ Ken Blanchard / 1 Comment

I’ve written more than a few books over the years, but I still get excited when a new one comes out. We’ve just released a new book I coauthored with Cynthia Olmstead and Martha Lawrence called Trust Works! Four Keys to Building Lasting Relationships. We think it will make a difference in people’s lives while giving them a smile.

trust-works-book-coverThe first part of the book is written as a parable about a dog and a cat and how they learn to trust each other. It’s interesting—we asked people for feedback on one of our first drafts, and some dog lovers were offended because it seemed as if the dog had to do all the work to get the trust from the cat. We realized that we needed to emphasize that trust is a two-way street. So in our finished story, not only is the dog trying to get the cat to trust him, but the cat has to get the dog to trust her too. Of course, the story is a metaphor for any relationship where people need to create and build trust with one another. Readers will be able to apply it to their working relationships as well as their relationships with family and friends.

Cindy Olmstead spent years developing the wonderful ABCD Trust Model™ we use in the second part of the book to highlight the four behaviors that need to be present in order to build trust. If even one of these behaviors is absent, trust erodes.

First, you have to prove that you’re Able. You are competent to solve problems and get results. You strive to be the best at what you do and you use your skills to help others.

Next, you have to be Believable. You act with integrity and honesty. You show respect for others, admit your mistakes, keep confidences, and avoid talking behind others’ backs.

You also have to be Connected. You care about others, which includes showing interest, asking for input, and listening.  You praise the efforts of others and share information about yourself.

Finally, you need to be Dependable. You do what you say you will do. You are organized and responsive. People know you will follow up and be accountable.

How would you assess your trustworthiness in these four key areas? Go to http://www.trustworksbook.com and take the self-assessment. While you’re at it, ask the people you work with to evaluate you as well.

That’s how I learned that my lowest score in these four areas was in the Dependable category. What an eye opener! I never thought of myself as undependable but since my executive team and I understood the four factors, we were able to have that conversation and zero in on the problem. Turns out that my desire to please everyone showed up in real life as a tendency to over-commit myself—which resulted in people ultimately being disappointed because I couldn’t meet their expectations.

Using the ABCD Trust Model™, my team came up with a great solution for me. Now when opportunities come up, instead of saying yes without thinking, I hand out my executive assistant’s card so she can make sure I have the time and resources to follow through.  As a result, my Dependable score has soared!

In most organizations, trust issues are simply avoided until they reach a breaking point. You can’t just assume that trust will grow over time—sometimes the exact opposite happens.

Trust is hard to define. You can tell when it’s absent—but how do you create it and build it when it doesn’t exist? Trust Works! provides a common language for trust—and essential skills for building, repairing, and sustaining it. Building trust is one of the most needed skills for leaders today. Don’t leave trust to chance in your organization.