Thank you to Mark Roberts, Financial Controller, Bush & Co for this guest blog from someone who is ‘walking the talk’ with the Nine Habits of Trust following attendance at a recent Trusted Executive workshop:-
There remains the persistent belief that those individuals who have successfully climbed the corporate ladder somehow possess a level of trustworthiness that others must embrace and dutifully follow. As Dr John Blakey’s research on The Trusted Executive demonstrates, this is far from the case.
Just a cursory look at high-profile personalities within the media, or candidates on shows like ‘The Apprentice’ will reveal a type of person only too eager to trample over others to get to the top. Maybe it’s unpopular, but I support the notion that leaders in all fields should be truly credible and trustworthy for people to buy into their philosophies and thus deliver their own optimal levels of performance. Alongside this misplaced ideal of the ruthless business person sits the concept of the ‘nice guy’. I have been accused of being ‘too nice’ as if kindness is a virtue to look upon with disdain. Maybe these accusations were made in jest, maybe not? Either way, I remain steadfast in my belief that there is nothing wrong with striving for a kinder approach to business relationships – habit no.9 of the Nine Habits of Trust. Indeed, it should be encouraged.
We’re only human
Providing your processes, methodologies and visions are clear, an injection of kindness should not thwart your achievements or hamper the fulfilment of your objectives. I would never claim that I have always managed to inject such kindness into my pursuits of various goals, but I’m human. I, like everyone else, am in a constant state of development. So long as kindness shapes my work more often than it doesn’t, I’m winning.
I also have a strong belief in always being humble – habit no.6 of the Nine Habits of Trust. It’s a quality I strive for having worked in various environments from accountancy offices to factories, to pizza restaurants. Experiencing such an array of workplaces taught me that every person possesses their own unique skills. Every person has something different to offer. That was perhaps the most important lesson I took from working alongside such a diverse array of people working within such diverse industries; that all of them were in some way able to teach me something new.
Recognising others’ skills and talents
Today, I occupy a role that is more senior than many, but one thing has never changed. Still, I am always open to the fact that others, on paper, less senior than me, may well know how to complete certain tasks better than I can, courtesy of their own unique background and skillsets that they have acquired through their own experience. I can but hope they recognise this humility within me and so feel more inclined to share their knowledge and skills. Inevitably, this will lead to a better chance of achieving optimal results for the business, increasing efficiencies of time and money and make us both look good in the process!
Ultimately, life is a journey. None of us are perfect and all of us are prone to mistakes. What’s important is that we continue to get up in the morning and try to be the best version of ourselves, help each other and, if possible, have some fun along the way. The Trusted Executive Leadership Model aligns well with this.
For more information on the Trusted Executive Foundation please refer to this short introductory video. As a first step on the journey of trust, individual and organisational trust surveys based on the nine habits are available. Please email info@trustedexecutive.com for further information
[ First posted on johnblakey.co.uk ]
