4 traits that foster trust

If you’re advising a new manager to succeed, start by establishing guiding principles. These principles become the bedrock upon which you can build trust. A trusting relationship enables people in charge to cultivate loyalty, extract maximum effort from others and encourage teamwork.

Groom your managers to evolve into dynamic leaders by helping them develop these four skills and attitudes:

1. The ability to speak plain English. People who hide behind buzzwords tend to stoke cynicism in their employees. Managers who skip the acronyms and industry lingo in favor of clear communication are easier to understand. And that makes them sound more confident and trustworthy.
2. The habit of posing smart questions. Leaders who like to learn from others build fast rapport. Their questions pave the way for a lively exchange of ideas and information, which makes employees feel like valued contributors whose opinions matter.
3. A willingness to listen. Model the kind of attentiveness you want your managers to emulate. Wait for respondents to answer your questions rather than jumping in too soon. Retain what others say so that you don’t make them repeat themselves. Stay silent when you’re tempted to play know-it-all so that others can take center stage.
4. A commitment to deeply felt values. Leaders walk the talk, so make sure your rising stars not only articulate the organization’s core values (such as integrity, honesty and putting the customer first) but also follow through. Create a culture where everyone feels at ease discussing what matters most and why it’s important. Employees trust bosses who share the same values.

— Adapted from The Reinventors, Jason Jennings, Portfolio/Penguin.