Do we really need to trust the people we work with?

The short answer is yes- but I promise this post is still worth reading.

I am reading a book called “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek, and it prompted me to spend some time looking for videos on him explaining his ideas on what leadership really is and what it looks like. Now you have full visibility to some of the things I do in my free time.

In one of the videos I came across, he mentions a quote from a writer named E. Lockhart: “Love is when you give someone the power to destroy you, and you trust them not to do it.” Now I recognize this quote wasn’t meant to describe work relationships, but I think it does so beautifully.

We can all find a job we are happy enough with, maybe it is because of the money, or the coworkers, or the lack of commute #WFH2022…but are you truly bought-in to the company, are you a promoter? Would you follow your leader wherever they led you? Probably not, because at the hint of company instability or the allure of a higher pay check you would probably be gone, and I’m not shaming you for that, I get it.

Imagine if you had a friend like that, never really believing they cared about you- just waiting for the next interesting person to come along… then poof! No more friendship. How fulfilling would that be? How interested in having a successful relationship would you be? Would you even care about their hopes and dreams? Their struggles and successes?

Having a leader who you trust has your back (and side, and front) is something that more people should strive to find, because when you feel like you work somewhere that has a devoted community, I guarantee you will feel happier in what you do.

If you are a leader reading this (or want to be) you should think about how to create this feeling within your team- people will want to stay, and they will want to do the work to support you and the vision of the company. Who knows, you might even make some lasting friendships along the way. Not sure how to get there? Let’s talk.