Few leaders would argue against the idea that trust is necessary for elite performance. Not nearly enough realise the height of its importance, and far too many dismiss trust-building as a soft or secondary competency. We tell the leaders we work with that building trust and belonging is their number one job.
Trust is the one thing that changes everything
In The Leader, Communication & High Performance we identified the crucial role of the leader in building trust between team members and the leader. Trust is iterative and slow building, and we found the in-between moments do much of the work. Leaders also create a positive, attractive future workplace climate that resonates with team members, using human motivation and organisation to fashion a collective environment of belonging.
Without trust, every part of an organisation can fall into disrepair. With it, continuous improvement and sustainable, measurable results become possible.
The hypothesis
Trust is the foundation on which teams thrive; belonging strengthens the bond between team members, leading to increased collaboration, engagement and innovation.
In this paper we gather and review contemporary research from a range of sources. Our hypothesis is that trust and belonging exist within a complex chain of correlations which positively influence employee emotional engagement, organisational commitment and high performance — and that vulnerability sits close to the centre of that chain.