"Good sailors are forged in rough waters, not in dry harbours...".
- "87% of employees are disengaged" (Oxford Economics' Workforce of 2020) Other sources raise this figure even higher... In Europe and Spain it is close to 90% and 93% respectively" (Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2017).
- "Disinformation fuels mistrust, polarisation and inequality. 72% think that the media do not do well at being objective and impartial". "81% of Spaniards believe that CEOs should lead on social issues" (Edelman Trust Barometer Spain 2021).
After reading this data, I am still shocked because, honestly, I thought that the human species was better off and that trust is as if it were something that we carry with us as a matter of course... (which I still believe), and at the same time, gathering this and other data on the subject; when we lack it, we immediately realise that it is not present. Right?
Dear reader, if you recognise yourself in any way in the above-mentioned data, I invite you to ask yourself the following question: Do youWhat kind of leadership is reflecting? Is there something we are doing or not doing that feeds this "distrust and low level of commitment"? and that applies to all of us because we all contribute to both effects. (it is not just a matter for CEOs or our Leaders, Rulers, etc.).
I would like to recall two great management leaders who point us in the right direction: "Trust is the glue of life. It is the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It is the fundamental principle that underpins all relationships." (Stephen Covey) and the one that says: "lonfidence is the most critical variable in the teamwork. This is not a virtue, it is a conscious and voluntary choice that arises and is nurtured by building bonds of trust based on the human vulnerability shown by team members, in the face of their mistakes, fears, and difficulties". (Patric Lencioni) and that is why it is the first dysfunction that needs to be tackled and to know where we are and to know if we are really "on the right track and if we are getting closer to being a high-performance team".
Well, what do we do now?
As in other posts I have written, I try to invite the reader to look at themselves, to question themselves and to be aware of their contribution to what we are dealing with and then to be part of the solution. In the today's highly complex context The context in which we move, which Dave Snowden explains very well (in his Cynefin model), points out that the relationships between cause and effect are not obvious and can only be known in retrospect; therefore, we must Dare to try and experiment with short trial and error cycles and based on the results learn, change and improve.
What does this have to do with trust (you might be wondering)? Well, knowing this provides a perspective of understanding the situation that helps you to "know" that what used to be safer and more predictable (and gave us security and confidence) is no longer necessarily so now and is very likely not to work in a complex context.. Therefore, if I now move in a much more uncertain and complex environment, I will test my self-confidence and trust in others even more..
Hence the opening metaphor of this post, which is why "different seas open up for us to sail through, testing our confidence". From my point of view, connecting the variables mentioned above, we could move in at least these "...".4 seas of trust"(there are probably more) which are as follows:
1. the Blind Trust (I would be more present with respect to that or those in whom we place that trust and who would be considered our saviours (Leaders, Rulers, Concepts, Ideologies, etc.) and this has the risk of leading to followerism and polarisation.
2. the Full Confidence (Despite the difficulties and uncertainties that surround us, we act out of a sense of purpose and contribution because we choose to create and inspire spaces of trust for others. As I noted earlier, we are willing to try new ways to continue to exercise trust.
3) The Overconfidence (This can lead to arrogance and overestimation of one's own capabilities in the face of challenges that we will not be able to solve because we would appeal to what we already know, as well as giving priority to personal interests rather than the common good.
4) The Mistrust (In this "sea", constant doubt sets in as an apparent defence mechanism that in reality weakens and increasingly disempowers us.
My invitation now, dear reader, is to ask you: Do youAre you aware of when you move from one to another? And also, Are you aware of the impact of your leadership when you act from one of these "seas of trust"?
If you are sufficiently challenged or motivated by these questions, I would encourage you to write down the answers and review them from time to time to consciously apply them in your relationships and, if you also want to do an exercise in authentic trust, I would invite you to share the answers and ask for feedback on them.
The latter I suggest you may perceive as "challenging" both professionally and personally. The innate human need to approach another human being and maximise the reward of that encounter and, at the same time, minimise or avoid the threat is a basic functioning mechanism of our brain and affects all our interactions.
Being aware of this and applying it gives us a great opportunity to create more trusting relationships between human beings!
To share a few more facts about the so-called "hormone of relationships, encounter or love: Oxytocin reduces the fear of trusting a stranger and helps to achieve better results. People from highly trusted companies inform us of:
- One 74% less stress
- One more 106% of energy at work
- A 50% Higher Productivity
- One 13% less sick days
- One more 76% of participation
- 29% more satisfaction with their lives, 40% less burnout" (Paul J Zak. 'The Neuroscience of Trust', HBR-2017).
In addition, "Social trust clearly and strongly associated with fewer infections during the first 21 months of the Covid pandemic" ('Roseto Effect', The Lancet Medical Journal 2021); and is "It is a principle of public health: the more social cohesion, the more trust with others, the better health we have. (Celia Diaz, Sociologist Univ Complutense)
And once we become aware of all this, it is the beginning of all change. "Once you see, you can't stop seeing".
Our language is full of nature's metaphors for human virtues, goodness and longing. Life on Earth has sustained itself for over 3.8 billion years and is a great example of self-regulation and sustainability because throughout this time, life on the planet has coped with and overcome catastrophic setbacks by adapting, innovating and shaping the environmental conditions that allowed it to thrive.
As Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) used to say, it is "the teacher of all teachers". Throughout its evolution, mankind has discovered the operating principles that govern Nature. Networks, nested systems, cycles, flows and dynamic equilibrium are just a few examples that have allowed us to develop rapidly, especially in the last 50 years.
That is why I am also writing this post to draw attention to the risks of the "technological tsunami"We are already in the midst of this process, which has only just begun.
"Nature is not in a hurry, yet everything takes place" (Lao Tzu)
Leaders, and I remember we are all leaders, can develop the right level of awareness that allows them to observe, uncover, learn and implement the strategies used by Nature to innovate, adapt and thrive in a sustainable way and, of course, with technology at our service, not the other way around.
And now I wonder, What if Trust is about more than just exercising seamanship? What if it is also about being aware and fully accepting that we are part of a WHOLE and that we are interconnected?
What if trust is simply Being Nature?
What do you think?
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