Relationships are key to great leadership and, well a great life. Rather, great relationships are key to great leadership and pleasant life. There are some ‘general laws of life’ that when violated affect everything, even in leadership, because, well, leaders lead people, primarily.
Trust allows leaders, and everyone else in general, to be vulnerable. Vulnerability increases trust and increased trust produces stronger teams and relationships.
Some will claim they just aren’t team people or they rather ‘fly solo’… Reality contradicts that. Not absolutely, but to a significant extent. To live and lead well, we have to trust someone or some people, at some point. It is folly to think you can be everything to yourself every time.
We are social beings. We need to be needed and are needed in one way or another This means that cynics can live and lead under difficult circumstances. Which, of course, is of their own making.
Cynicism violates trusts at every level and turn. With a violation of trust comes weak teams and relationships. Cynicism doesn’t believe in ‘no-strings-attached benevolence’. Thus a loss of resources and a lack of synergy.
Cynicism robs leaders and teams of what is right about people. I’m not advocating naivety, I’m advocating trust.
People can be unpredictable. Trying to unwrap every possible motive for every possible action is nothing but a waste of valuable emotional and mental energy. Be diligent as you build teams and relationships. Be wary but also make sure you have a clear point of trust.
Leaders who lead with trust have teams with greater unity and productivity. Relationships built on trust flourish and are more fulfilling. Cynicism taints. It robs.
There is always that guy the one who will give you twenty thousand reasons not to ever trust people. The funny thing is that they never advocated not being trusted for themselves. It is always other or those people you need to be weary of. In fact it should be the cynics we should be cynical of…
People who advocate mistrust of just about everyone, should not be trusted themselves [Click to Tweet]
Trust. Cynicism taints and does so, robbing you and those you come into contact with [Click to Tweet]
Cynicism shuts the door of generosity to and from others. It keeps us from making our teams and the world at large a greater place. It keeps people locked up prisons of insignificance, because there will always be people who want to take advantage…
Making the world a greater place involves risking contact with cynics; never let that stop you [Click to Tweet]
Not all people have evil intent toward you. There may be people like that, but I guarantee you (whatever its worth) there are more people interested in your success in life and as a leader than those against.
[Photo via Unsplash]