You probably trust most of the people around you. You trust their character, morality and ethics. You would leave them alone with the cash register or let them watch your kids. This is what most of us have in mind when we talk about trust. There is another type of trust that is just as important although rarely distinguished or discussed. Where we frequently lack trust is in someone’s competence. We do not have confidence in their skills or abilities. We are not concerned they would steal or act immorally,  but we are worried that they would mishandle the task or responsibility. Whether you are the delegator, or the one being delegated to, we owe it to one other to actually talk through why there may be a lack of trust. Unaddressed, the assumption tends to be that there is a lack of trust in character, morality or ethics. If this…

We have a natural aversion to being naked. We love to wear clothing fashioned from our many strengths, accomplishments and victories. We shy away from exposing our weaknesses and explaining the real reasons we behave like we do. Being transparent gives other people leverage. They can exploit us. They have seen us naked. So how do you overcome the threat and fear? Mutually assured destruction. Organizations that want to enjoy the benefits of a transparent environment, one in which team members extend trust, collaborate around strengths and interact based on reality, must be transparent from the top down. Leaders must be transparent first and ask their teams to follow. Once leaders prove their commitment to transparency, those who fear it have all the assurance they need to know that transparency will not be used as leverage or to exploit or embarrass them. Doing so would expose the leaders to the same. If…