Team members who trust their leader are more likely to become committed to that leader, the team, and the organization. No surprise.
However, research in neuroscience confirms the opposite is also true.
When team members commit to the leader and the organization’s vision, they amplify their trust in both. When we trust, we elevate our commitment. When we commit, we expand our trust.
The question no one can definitively answer is: Does trust come before commitment, or does commitment exist before trust?
The chicken and egg dynamic of trust and commitment is important for leaders because they require different actions.
Should a leader invest in building trust to garner commitment, or should they focus their attention on gaining commitment to foster trust?
Of course, the easy answer is for leaders to do both simultaneously. And good leaders do.
But the best leaders go about emphasizing both differently.
They build trust in their relationships and then reap the benefit of higher commitment to themselves and the team.
They promote commitment to the enterprise and its vision within the team and enjoy more trust in their relationships as a result. What a bargain!
Good leaders know that team members who trust them and are loyal to the team go above and beyond to lift themselves and others toward sustainable success.
They focus their attention more easily, engage more passionately, overcome setbacks and challenges more comfortably, and behave more consistently.
That’s why savvy leaders do their best to amplify the trust individual team members feel toward them while also deepening the commitment they have to the team and its vision.
When leaders get this emphasis right, they create a delicious meal with both the chicken and the egg.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
