Whole Leaders, Wild Trust

CHAPTER 7Ready: Prepare for Whatever Comes Next

The whole and trusted leader is always getting ready for what’s next.

The Whole and Trusted Leader

Who are the leaders you would trust with your life and work, and why? Who are they and what are their names? What is it about them that makes them trustworthy? How do they see their world? Who are the people in your family that you trust? Who are the people on your team at work that you trust, and what is it about them that causes you to put your trust in them? The leaders we should trust and will trust over the long haul are incredible human beings. They are both clear and compassionate. They know themselves well—their convictions, values, competencies, weaknesses, and they stand on a firm and supported foundation. They are people of integrity—like an integer—a number that cannot be divided within itself. The whole and trusted leader is defined, purposeful, and full of clarity. In the same moment they are not only people of integrity like a castle, but permeable, willing to change and to see our side. They are willing to open their gates and lower the drawbridge to let us in. They may not change their mind, but they will honestly work hard to hear and continue to learn. The whole and trusted leader is a truth speaker and a peace keeper, a communicator and a listener. The challenge and reality that many of us face is that we function in organizational cultures and environments that don’t support health and performance and trust, ...