The One Quality That Builds Loyalty

The one key ingredient that builds loyalty is trust. The inspirational leader knows this and demonstrates qualities in their life that builds trust with those around them. They know that walking the talk is far more effective than talking about trust or service or loyalty.

In an article by one of my favourite columnists (Leon Gettler), he shared a study about trust that should alarm us all. Even though it was published in 2005, it seems to still be valid today.

 

Trust Study by Global Public Relations Giant Edelman

77% trust the business environment is on track

65% trust word of mouth regarding trustworthiness of another organisation

61% trust newspapers

46% trust chief financial officers

44% trust chief executives

41% trust company chairmen

36% trust “analyst” reports about business

35% trust non-government organisations

34% trust company Web sites

30% trust the Internet

18% trust governments

17% trust government representatives

14% trust business

7% trust radio

6% trust the media

3% trust advertisements

2% trust TV

(Sydney Morning Herald, Leon Gettler, “Management Report”,1 November 2005)

 

The study found that 27% of opinion leaders – drawn from executives, middle manager and above, senior government bureaucrats, non-government organisations (NB)) leaders and senior journalists – did not give any of these areas high ratings for trustworthiness.

Loyalty

What IS loyalty? By definition loyalty is the state or quality of being true and steadfast, a feeling of duty towards someone or something. To be loyal is to be faithful and true, personally devoted to someone (leader, friend, partner) or something.

I’ve done a series of workshops for many years about what loyalty is, how to establish loyalty in leadership and how to secure loyalty in staff and customers. Through these two-day workshops, I’ve learned much from my research and more from the experiences of the participants.

 

Loyalty, when it exists, is strong as a rock

yet fragile as frozen glass!

 

In a study by SEEK, 69% of employees stated they

Did not believe management is open and honest;

45% do not believe management inspires trust.

 

To be effective and productive, followers must be able to trust and be trusted. Followers seem to have a more reliable intuition about trust and its healthy effects than many leaders give them credit for. When trust permeates a group, great things are possible, not the least of which is a true opportunity to reach our potential.

Secrets

 Trust is often most eloquently expressed in secrets. “Only trust holds personal relationships – friendship, marriage, family, or a larger community – together.” - Lew Smedes

We trust or withhold secrets from those around us as they demonstrate trustworthiness or a lack there of. Without information, knowledge and clear communication – trust, and thus, loyalty is diminished.

The more secrets withheld, the more obvious it is that trust is also withheld. Trust in organisations is foundational and functional. Communications, relationship, unity around a vision – these things are reliant on trust.

Sometimes things go wrong and when they do, such as the GFC, if we have established trust through communications there is a “forgiveness factor” that goes into action to bridge the gap between uncertainty and certainty -- and results in loyalty. Only a leader who consistently demonstrates trustworthy behaviours will be able to hold the imagination and hope of staff, customers and shareholders.

We learn to trust in our families, in school, those we watch and establish as our guides and mentors and role models. Trust generates loyalty. Yet trust cannot be bought or commanded, inherited, coerced or enforced. Trust cannot even be measured. To keep trust alive, it must be continuously earned.

Trust springs from a serious pursuit by both leaders and followers of at least seven essential beliefs and initiatives. These will be the topics for future segments of this column.

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Darlene Richard is an international, subject-matter expert and philosopher on the issues affecting the quality and productivity of staff within non face-to-face customer supporting environments. Contact her on DR@CustomerResponseINTEGRITY.comif you have any questions or comments regarding this article.

 

Leadership in 2 Minutes & 58 Seconds

The articles I’ve written to date about leadership lay a foundation about trust and this one is no different...well no this article will be VERY different in a special way. 

Sometimes you find a light-hearted example that’s actually a life changing idea and the 2 minute and 58 second video I’ve embedded for you here is just that – profound and thought provoking.

It documents a movement around a vision in a most delightful way.  It talks about the courage to be a little bit silly but courageous with your ideas.  To be a leader you must be willing to stand alone and look foolish, against opinion and politics of the day.  If you can muster the courage of your convictions consistently, you will attract a “first follower”.  The first follower will embrace your vision and see the value enough to “dance” beside you, not behind you. 

As the leader you will continue dancing to your own vision of the music around you and let the first follower sense your dedication and make their own decision.  To do this you do not preach at them or even teach...you set a clear and pure example that’s easy to follow and understand. 

No matter what the vision, it must be something that can be simmered down into a statement of 25 words or less...the KISS principle was likely written with leadership (or Murphy’s Law) in mind.

Like the leader here, the steps he is demonstrating are easy to follow, simple, some personal and free style, a bit repetitive and fun.  Even in business a little fun is important or you have created a police state where the stick (of carrot and stick fame) is used to drive people away, not to drive up value.

The leader does not correct his first follower because if the first follower has actually embraced the vision, the first follower may embellish the vision, but the core of this vision lives within the leader to always set the “vision metronome” for all.

The first follower then is the one who attracts end encourages others to the vision and helps them “feel” the truth of the steps.  This establishes the leader, as not a nut, but a leader.  And this is done openly where people can explore the vision and dance their specialist dance in the group. 

They no longer dance with the leader personally, but emulate one another...the vision pollinates throughout the group and they spread the enthusiasm to others around.  As more people recognise the truth of the vision, they see how important it is to join in to help achieve the vision.

Ted Turner

Leadership is nothing without followers.  Remember the quote I shared in one of the earlier segments of this series from Ted Turner (of CNN fame):  “If you want to know if you are a leader, look behind you.”  And this is what it is to be a leader.

You don’t set out to be a leader.  You do not study for it or take a test or get a certificate or letters after your name designating you are a leader, you either have people buying into your vision or not.

CNN started up in the most awful place, on the wrong side of the tracks in Atlanta Georgia in 1980.  Ted could not get people to come work in the warehouse he had rented.  In every one of his help wanted ads they very clearly stated that it was not a nice place to work.  I remember well, because I applied, met Ted himself and was offered a role there.

People would answer the ads, take their life in their hands and go to the interview.  Hear the vision and decide for themselves if they WOULD risk it and cross the tracks to be part of this silly, impossible, never-before-attempted idea to broadcast only the news 24-hours a day seven days a week. 

Well you know the result...we are still watching after32 years.  Today CNN is watched in an average of 200 million households and hotel rooms in the USA alone.  It is available in 212 countries now.  Not bad for starting out as a nut dancing on the wrong side of the tracks!

Basic Leadership

The secret of this silly video and of Ted Turner’s success and the success of any authentic, inspirational leader is to:

·         keep the vision embraceable

·         keep it consistent

·         dance even if you look silly

·         do not give up

·         nurture that first follower

·         teach others by example how to follow

·         allow them to use their skills to vary the dance

·         always stick to your vision

Leadership IS about followers.  Being authentic to your vision sets the standard for others to appraise the value of following your vision.  The easy part is doing your own dance.  The hard part is remembering the truth -- that there is no leadership without followers.  The price to be paid is sometimes ridicule and for this you need courage and lots of energy.