De 13 gedragskenmerken van een betrouwbare leider

Wat onderscheidt een fantastische leider van een goede leider? Wat maakt een individu geloofwaardig? Volgens Stephen Covey zijn deze vragen met behulp van verschillende dimensies te beantwoorden, echter blijft er één zaak belangrijk: betrouwbaarheid.

Covey identificeerde 13 essentiële gedragskenmerken die betrouwbare leiders met elkaar gemeen hebben. Deze gedragskenmerken kunnen gebruikt worden door elke beïnvloeder, op elk niveau en binnen elke organisatie. Het resultaat zal een significant hogere bekwaamheid bewerkstelligen om vertrouwen te genereren met alle belanghebbenden met als gevolg betere resultaten.

1.      Talk Straight
Be honest. Tell the truth. Let people know where you stand. Use simple language. Call things what they are. Demonstrate integrity. Don't manipulate people nor distort facts. Don't spin the truth. Don't leave false impressions.

'I look for three things in hiring people. The first is personal integrity, the second is intelligence, and the third is a high energy level. But if you don't have the first, the second two don't matter.'
Warren Buffett, CEO, Berkshire-Hathaway

"Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not."
Oprah Winfrey

2.     Demonstrate Concern
Genuinely care for others. Show you care. Respect the dignity of every person and every role. Treat everyone with respect, especially those who can't do anything for you. Show kindness in the little things. Don't fake caring. Don't attempt to be 'efficient' with people.

 'The end result of kindness is that it draws people to you."
Anita Roddick, Founder & CEO, The Body Shop

"If people know you care, it brings out the best in them."
Richard Branson, Founder, the Virgin Group

3.     Create Transparency
Tell the truth in a way people can verify. Get real and genuine. Be open and authentic. Err on the side of disclosure. Operate on the premise of, 'What you see is what you get.' Don't have hidden agendas. Don't hide information.

'Trust happens when leaders are transparent."
Jack Welch, Former CEO, G.E.

4.     Right Wrongs
Make things right when you're wrong. Apologize quickly. Make restitution where possible. Practice 'service recoveries.' Demonstrate personal humility. Don't cover things up. Don't let personal pride get in the way of doing the right thing.

"What I call Level 5 leaders build enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will."
Jim Collins

'Watergate wasn't so much a burglary as it was the failure to recognize mistakes, to take responsibility for them, and to apologize accordingly."
Jon Huntsman, Chairman, Huntsman Corp.

5.     Show Loyalty
Give credit to others. Speak about people as if they were present. Represent others who aren't there to speak for themselves. Don't badmouth others behind their backs. Don't disclose others' private information.

 'If you want to retain those who are present, be loyal to those who are absent because the key to the many is the one."
Stephen R. Covey

6.     Deliver Results
Establish a track record of results. Get the right things done. Make things happen. Accomplish what you're hired to do. Be on time and within budget. Don't overpromise and underdeliver. Don't make excuses for not delivering.

"There is no ambiguity around performance at Pepsi, which some people perceive as harsh. I see it as an important and necessary part of how you operate. You can't create a high trust culture unless people perform."
Craig Weatherup, former CEO, PepsiCo

7.      Get Better
Continuously improve. Increase your capabilities. Be a constant learner. Develop feedback systems - both formal and informal. Act upon the feedback you receive. Thank people for feedback. Don't consider yourself above feedback. Don't assume your knowledge and skills will be sufficient for tomorrow's challenges.

'The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."
Alvin Toffler

 8.     Confront Reality
Take issues head on, even the 'undiscussables.' Address the tough stuff directly. Acknowledge the unsaid. Lead out courageously in conversation. Don't skirt the real issues. Don't bury your head in the sand. Confront the reality, not the person.

"We strive to tell everyone everything we can. We want a culture with open dialogue and straight answers. In terms of our work with employees, we have been direct with them even when they don't like the answer. Our goal is not to please everyone but instead for them to trust that what we tell them is the truth. You can't work the tough issues we face unless everyone, starting with the senior team, trusts one another."
Greg Brenneman, former CEO, Continental Airlines

'Leaders need to be more candid with those they purport to lead. Sharing good news is easy. When it comes to the more troublesome negative news, be candid and take responsibility. Don't withhold unpleasant possibilities and don't pass off bad news to subordinates to deliver."
Jon Huntsman, Chairman, Huntsman Corp

9.     Clarify Expectations
Disclose and reveal expectations. Discuss them. Validate them. Renegotiate them if needed and possible. Don't violate expectations. Don't assume that expectations are clear or shared.

'Almost all conflict is a result of violated expectations."
Blaine Lee

"An individual without information cannot take responsibility. An individual who is given information cannot help but take responsibility."
Jan Carlzon, former CEO, Scandinavian Airlines

10. Practice Accountability
Hold yourself accountable. Hold others accountable. Take responsibility for results. Be clear on how you'll communicate how you're doing - and how others are doing. Don't avoid or shirk responsibility. Don't blame others or point fingers when things go wrong.

"Remember, when you were made a leader, you weren't given a crown, you were given a responsibility to bring out the best in others. For that, your people need to trust you."
Jack Welch, former CEO, General Electric

11.   Listen First
Listen before you speak. Understand. Diagnose. Listen with your ears...and your eyes and heart. Find out what the most important behaviors are to the people you're working with. Don't assume you know what matters most to others. Don't presume you have all the answers - or all the questions.

"Nothing beats personal, two-way communication for fostering cooperation and teamwork and for building an attitude of trust and understanding among employees."
David Packard, Co-Founder, Hewlett Packard

'We've all heard the criticism, ‘He talks too much.' When was the last time you heard someone criticized for listening too much?"
Norm Augustine, Former CEO, Lockheed Martin

12.  Keep Commitments
Say what you're going to do. Then do what you say you're going to do. Make commitments carefully and keep them at all costs. Keep commitments the symbol of your honor. Don't break confidences. Don't attempt to 'PR' your way out of a commitment you've broken.

'Trust doesn't mean they tell you everything. It doesn't mean they don't posture. But it means if they say, ‘We will do this,' they will do it. It is credibility. It is integrity."
Scott Smith, Publisher, Chicago Tribune


13.  Extend Trust
Demonstrate a propensity to trust. Extend trust abundantly to those who have earned your trust. Extend trust conditionally to those who are earning your trust. Learn how to appropriately extend trust to others based on the situation, risk, and credibility of the people involved. Don't withhold trust because there is risk involved.

"The chief lesson I have learned in a long life is that the only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him."
Henry Stimson, U.S. Statesman

"I have found that by trusting people until they prove themselves unworthy of that trust, a lot more happens."
Jim Burke, former CEO, Johnson & Johnson

Bron: www.coveylink.com