Why Employees Don't Trust Their Leaders

According to the 2016 Edelman Trust Barometer survey, almost 1 in 3 employees don’t trust their employers. The Edelman survey also shows that the survey results show that the lower you go in the organization; the less trusting people are. 64 percent of executives said they trust the company they work for while only 51 percent of managers and 48 percent of rank-and-file employees said they did.

In addition to this, employers now have to reach the millennial generation. After graduating from college, on average, a millennial will change jobs four times before they are 32 years old. Many millennials do not feel empowered in their current jobs.

Front-line managers are organizational connecting rods. They have the most influence and can make their teams excellent if they choose to do so. They accomplish this by consistently demonstrating leadership qualities can inspire their teams to do great things.  According to Daniel Wang, founder of the Loopring Foundation here are the top eight qualities that make a great leader:

1. Show real enthusiasm

Real enthusiasm for a business, its products, and its mission cannot be faked. Employees can
recognize insincere cheerleading from a mile away. However, when leaders are sincerely enthusiastic and passionate, that’s contagious.

2. Integrity

Whether it’s giving proper credit for accomplishments, acknowledging mistakes, or putting quality first, great leaders exhibit integrity at all times. They do what’s right, even if that isn’t the best thing for the current work product.

3. Great communication skills

Leaders must motivate, instruct and inspire the people they are in charge of. They can accomplish none of these things if they aren’t very skilled communicators. Poor communication leads to poor outcomes. It’s also important to remember that listening is an integral part of communication.

4. Loyalty

The best leaders understand that true loyalty is reciprocal. Because of this, they express that loyalty in tangible ways that benefit the member of their teams. True loyalty is ensuring that all team members have the training and resources to do their jobs. It’s standing up for team members in crisis and conflict.

5. Decisiveness

A good leader isn’t simply empowered to make decisions due to their position. They are willing to take on the risk of decision making. Bosses who aren’t decisive are often ineffective. Too much effort working on consensus building can have a negative effect. Rather than simply making a decision, many leaders allow debate to continue, and then create a piecemeal decision that satisfies no one.

6. Managerial competence

Too many organizations try to create leaders from people who are technically good at their jobs. They understand company goals, processes, and procedures. Being good at one’s job doesn’t prove that they can inspire, motivate, mentor or direct.

7. Empowerment

A good leader has trust in their abilities of the employees under them. When employees are empowered, they are more likely to make decisions that are in the best interest of the organization. This is true, even if it means allowing workers flexibility top go “off script.”

8. Charisma

The best leaders are well-spoken, approachable and friendly. They show a sincere interest in others. They make it easy to follow their lead. They have a certain je ne sais quoi that sets them apart and everybody around them senses it.

Remember, the lower in the organization we go, the less trusting people became. Looks like a call to action for upper leadership to become more visible in a meaningful way. This might be via a town hall meeting or skype for remote workers. We can certainly do better than roughly half of all managers and workers not trusting their leaders.