First Create Trust

We must be the change we seek to produce.

Gandhi

The ability to create trust is the foundational competency for effective change. When church leaders begin reading supposedly secular books about leadership, it is often a great surprise that the language used in the best of the books seems to come from the vocabulary of the church. Church leaders may expect to find elaborate grids, schemes, and designs. Instead, the words that dominate have to do with values and character. It soon becomes quite evident that there is no way to talk about leadership without talking about values, character, and relationships.

When I was a seminary president, I spent much time raising money. That is one thing seminary presidents are called to do. Years ago I heard the statistic that major gifts tend to come after a dozen or so visits, often by the president. I was close to that statistical average with a woman in her nineties. She had ample resources, no family, close ties to the church, interest in our school, yet had never given a single gift. I arranged yet another visit with her by scheduling a flight with a lengthy layover in her city so I could take her to dinner, as was our usual pattern.

When I arrived at her home, she was not dressed to go out. She indicated that she was not feeling well and perhaps we could visit for a few minutes and then I could head back to the airport. We talked briefly in her living room. Then, as I was standing at the door to leave, she said simply, "I trust you." Her words meant a great deal to me personally, as my regard for her had grown through the years. I also knew then that she wanted to provide significant support for the seminary; she left half of her estate for student scholarships.

That was the day I learned that the term development was no mere euphemism for "fundraising." It became abundantly clear to me that people give out of trust, and that trust grows out of relationships and experiences that engender such trust.

A term sometimes used in communication theory is the "ethical proof" of the speaker. Ethical proof refers to the credibility that the hearers accord the speaker. When the ethical proof is high, the task of persuading the audience is not hard. When the ethical proof is neutral, the speaker has a more difficult time. When the ethical proof is negative, the speaker has an extremely difficult time persuading the audience. This concept means that the way the constituents perceive the leader is often much more important than the "facts" of the presentation.

So it is with the presence of trust and credibility between leaders and constituents. James Kouzes speaks of credibility as "credit-ability." People are doing an analysis of our credibility all the time just as a bank might assess our credit worthiness. Indeed, credibility is the working capital of the leader. It is from the account of credibility that the leader draws to make possible creative change. Credibility is the foundation upon which all effective leadership builds.

A leader wins trust slowly, but can lose it quickly. Once lost, this trust is difficult to regain in that leadership setting. People may give us a leadership position through election or employment. However, the credibility needed to lead must be worked out among the people with whom we serve. It is trust from those with whom the leader works most closely that gives a leader the essential element of credibility.

TRUST REQUIRED FOR LEADERSHIP

A United Methodist bishop met with a group of seminary leaders recently to discuss his observations about the type of clergy leadership most needed by churches today. The bishop noted with disappointment that many clergy leaders appear not to give the time and attention required to develop trust relationships sufficient for effective leadership. What the bishop observes about clergy leadership is true of all leadership.

The level of trust that exists within an organization and toward leaders is crucial to the effectiveness of leadership. When trust is limited, it is difficult for progress to take place. Change requires a minimal level of trust. Some speak of a "trust threshold" or a "radius of trust." That describes the variations in trust we all experience in relation to individuals and groups. Over time we come to extend more trust to some people and organizations than to others.

Economists remind us that in societies where the "radius of trust" is limited to family and a few close friends, a strong and expanding economic life is difficult to achieve. Economic transactions require a certain level of trust. Lack of sufficient trust imposes something like a tax on all interactions that makes progress more difficult.

This helps explain why in low-trust organizations, even modest...