On August 26th, I celebrated my 15th anniversary at INJOY Stewardship Solutions. One of privileges I have had is the opportunity to build long-standing relationships with a number of my co-workers. One of the primary benefits of working relationships that last over a decade is you develop a high level of trust.
You trust them during good times and bad. You trust the quality of their work. You trust they have your back. You trust their insights on issues you may face. You trust they have your best interests in mind. You know each other’s families. You have watched each other’s kids grow up. Also, you have attended the weddings and funerals of their family members. These co-workers become part of your extended family.
Constant turnover in your organization prevents you from having this level of relational equity. A lack of relational equity = a lack of trust. A lack of trust = poor performance.
This past weekend, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman suffered a knee injury ending his season. Quarterback Tom Brady went on WEII’s “Kirk and Callahan” program and discussed the greatest impact on him was the loss of trust they have spent years building up.
As I listened to Brady’s comments, I gleaned 11 Facts About Having Experienced, Trusted Leaders On Your Team. All the comments below are from Brady.
- Successful Relationships Are Based On Trust – “So much of the quarterback/receiver relationship is about trust.”
- When You Have Trust You Know How The Other Person Sees Things – “I see things a certain way, and the receiver needs to see it the exact same way…”
- When You Have Trust Anticipation Increases And Surprises Decease – “in order for me to be able to anticipate where to go with the ball.”
- Trust Is Built Over Time – “He and I have just had that; this is our ninth year together on the same team, talking about the same offense.”
- Trust Allows You To Be In Sync With Each Other – “We’re so in sync.”
- Trust Must Be Earned By One’s Actions And Behaviors – Since 2013 including the playoffs, Edelman has 436 receptions. This is 187 more than any other teammate over the same period of time.
- Losing Trusted Employees Is Tough – “It’s a tough loss.”
- Trusted Employees Are Great Employees – “Great player. Great teammate.”
- Trusted Employees Often Become Trusted Friends As Well – “Great friend.”
- One Of The Reasons Someone Is Trusted Is Because He/She Makes Their Teammates Better – “He really plays with a chip on his shoulder, and I thought he brought that attitude to the whole offense, the whole team.”
- Trusted Employees Are Leaders On Your Team – “He’s really a leader on the team, just his style of play and attitude.”
What is one thing you learned from this post about the importance of trusted and experienced leadership?
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