Leadership is a Relationship

CHAPTER 4The Vocabulary of Trust (Trust)

Our interviews with leaders for this book covered a lot of ground, but one thing that always came up was trust. Leader after leader mentioned how integral trust was to doing great work, and how strong relationships were the best way to build and maintain that trust over time. Trust can be slippery, though: We know it when we feel it, but what is it, really? And when people say that trust allows them to do great work, what exactly does that mean?

In this chapter, we'll explore those questions with specific examples of trust in action. You'll hear from four leaders, each from a different kind of pursuit. In all of their stories, trust isn't just a platitude: it's a concrete goal that astute leaders work to create each day.

I'm in Their Corner

One Friday morning in the middle of winter, management consultant Kelly Swaintek got an unexpected call from a client. “Oh jeez. Where are we going here?” she thought to herself. Relationships with clients are crucial, and Kelly wasn't sure what to make of an out-of-the-blue call. She picked up the phone.

“I tell your team this, but I want to make sure that you hear it,” the client said.

“Okay,” Kelly replied, her unease not exactly lessened.

“Your team cares more about my business than some of my employees do. They care more about getting to the right answer, developing my team, giving them feedback, and coaching them. It's building our business.”

Kelly finished the conversation and breathed a ...