Quote: “Trust is an invitation to go on an inside out journey. When you are acting and saying things on the outside, that is truly who you are.”
What makes a successful leader? In a word: trust.
Hitendra Wadhwa, founder of the Mentora Institute (formerly known as the Institute for Personal Leadership), professor of practice at Columbia University and a Holdsworth faculty member, outlines the five pillars needed to build trust.
- Character: Are you consciously working on acting out your values? People must see that you are selflessly committed to the pursuit of those values.
- Commitment: Are you someone who has deep and selfless commitment? People want to see your commitment to projects, people and causes.
- Competence: You must be perceived as someone who is capable, able to resolve problems and to deliver on expectations.
- Caring: Are you only invested in your own success and removed from those around you? Building trust requires genuine interest in and care for the people around you.
- Congruence: You can’t just go through the motions and check the boxes. You’ve got to be the real deal.
This article was originally published in The Holdsworth Center.