When you are leading a team of people, it’s important to earn their trust. Being able to rely on one another within a group is crucial to working together efficiently. People want to know that their leader has their backs, while a leader wants a team that will work for him or her in good faith. In Imran and Aimee Tariq’s book, “Pyramid of Trust,” they discuss the importance of trust in leadership and how to build better relationships in business.
Leaders set an example by being trustworthy
In any setting, it is a leader’s responsibility to set the tone for the group. People turn to those with authority as examples on how to act. Trust is important in leadership because it sets a standard of being reliable amongst everyone else.
For example, if you are running a country and are commanding trust from your people, it’s important to consider the hierarchy. Within the hierarchies of a country at war, there are divisions of trust. It’s important for the leader of a nation at war to consider how they must build trust in the generals and the troops. The leader has to think about how they will earn support and not cause infighting, which would be antithetical to the overall cause.
Understanding your team members’ needs
A key component to building trust amongst your team is understanding everyone’s individual needs. The first step to having their backs is to learn what they expect and need out of their leader. Being able to meet one’s needs is crucial to building trust.
In our past as humans, you will see a trend of tribes being built around their dependence on individuals. Tribes thrive on teamwork, and to attain that, there has to be trust within the group. The men in tribes would set off on hunts to harvest animals or even to defend the clan. As hunters, there was an understanding that members of the hunting party would protect one another from natural predators or neighboring enemies. Those left behind in the hunt had an understanding of trust in the hunters as well. They trusted that the harvest would be shared among the group, that the bounty would not be the exclusive right and property of those who engaged in the hunting.
The men also had to trust that their wives could keep things in order at home. The women were trusted by the men to look after the kids—the next generation of warriors, hunters, and child-rearers. Additionally, older members of the village or the community would look after each other as well. In total, the community was made up of people working together. A functional society, on any scale, takes a whole community that communicates well and relies on others.
At some point, the team members would have had to communicate their needs and what they needed others to help with. This approach is relevant to us today as we continue to work together with our fellow humans at work. Your workplace is the same as an old tribe and it takes the same kind of trust to lead. The community has to respect their leader and trust that they are not going to give up on them. In turn, they will return the favor.
In the book “Pyramid of Trust,” Imran and Aimee Tariq discuss more effective strategies and insight on gaining trust. The authors explain to readers how to build stronger personal and professional relationships alike.
