My current class in grad school is called "Perspectives in Change Leadership". The basic premise of the class is that change constantly occurs in every environment and leadership must acknowledge and compensate in their style of working with people if they are going to be successful.
In today's world people are more virtual in their lives and so organizations must learn to adapt and capitalize on this reality. This is not only true for companies but also for churches and families.
One key component in this new reality is that trust must be built, established and maintained. Trust experts, Dennis S. Reina and Michelle Reina, recently wrote Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace: Building Effective Relationships in Your Organization. According to them, the behaviors necessary for leaders to establish trust are:
1. Manage expectations. Both explicit and implicit expectations regarding the work must be clear. In addition, managers must set realistic goals.
2. Establish boundaries. Roles and responsibilities must be well defined, and the parameters and direction of the project must be clearly mapped out.
3. Delegate appropriately. When giving responsibility, you must also give them the necessary authority, resources, and voice to accomplish the goal.
4. Encourage mutually serving intentions. You want your team members to share the attitude that they are all in one boat and together can pull through any storm.
5. Be consistent. Even when adapting your strategy to the demands of a constantly shifting environment, your behavior should be based on principles and values rather than on expediency.
6. Keep agreements. If you must break an agreement, renegotiate promptly.
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