More than Honesty

What: Trust Desired 
Tom Rath & Barry Conchie's latest work, Strengths Based Leadership, is an insightful, applicable, and energizing book that leaves readers with new found direction and purpose in their leadership journeys. One of the many topics I found interesting was the topic of followership. More specifically, as identified in the book,  what followers look for in leaders: Trust, Compassion, Stability and Hope. Dealing specifically with trust, the authors went on to say "At any level, whether you are a manager, CEO, or head of state, trust might be the 'do or die' foundation for leading" (pg 83). Following this, we see that those surveyed mentioned honesty, integrity and respect as significant distinctions within the area of trust. Trust, when talked of casually, typically settles on a definition like 'so-and-so is a trustworthy person.'  That is, they are honest and tell the truth. Here however, through the eyes of followers, we see something else. It seems that followers are looking for more than the absence of lies. 


So What: Trust and Integrity 
The word integrity serves us well at getting at the author's point. Many have heard the saying (I'm not sure who coined it...) that "Integrity is what you do when no one's around." One of my favorite authors, Dallas Willard, a Philosophy professor at University of Southern California, looks at integrity this way:


"Integrity would mean, among other things, that you don’t have to run different processes in your life—that you’re transparent and all parts of who you are hang together, are consistent, so you don’t have to keep parts of yourself hidden."


Given Rath and Conchie's findings, it seems followers look at trust in a very holistic way - hence the accompanying features of honesty, integrity, and respect. Followers want an honest leader but they also want a leader who's life is consistent with the truth he/she tells. This idea of being 'transparent' means that not only can followers peer into a leaders life and see everything, it means that what they see is consistent with what the leader said would be there. That all parts of this person, this leader, are working together in a cohesive direction that is for the good of the follower. 


Now What: Trust as a Strength 
Rath and Conchie's work allows leaders to learn about their own strengths through a unique assessment that fits strengths into four domains of leadership. Whether trust is a measurable strength of ours or not, it is a strength that must be worked on if we are to lead. And trust, as perceived by followers means more than simply using our mouths to tell the truth. Followers have cast a deeper lot. In his book Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders writes "...leader(s) must be sincere in promise, faithful in discharge of duty, upright in finances, loyal in service, and honest in speech" (pg. 62). It seems followers have given leaders a lot to work on.


My bet (and hope) is that leaders rise to the occasion. Followers, it seems, are hoping for the same thing.