{"id":2514,"date":"2015-01-16T10:05:49","date_gmt":"2015-01-16T15:05:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=2514"},"modified":"2015-01-16T10:12:50","modified_gmt":"2015-01-16T15:12:50","slug":"trust-lingo-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=2514","title":{"rendered":"Trust, Lingo & Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

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There’s a new game in corporate America, it’s called the “word” game, and it’s simply a smoke screen masking a larger and holistic issue of low trust as\u00a0illustrated in the following quote: \u00a0 Words sometimes serve as a smoke screen to obscure the truth, rather than as a searchlight to reveal it.<\/span><\/em><\/strong> (author unknown)<\/span> One need only spend a few minutes scrolling through LinkedIn to witness\u00a0this “new era” word game being played. These are\u00a0among my favorites:<\/p>\n

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  1. Mindfulness<\/li>\n
  2. Engagement<\/li>\n
  3. Culture<\/li>\n
  4. Autonomy<\/li>\n
  5. Centricity<\/li>\n
  6. Disruption<\/li>\n
  7. Talent<\/li>\n
  8. Empowerment<\/li>\n
  9. Wellness<\/li>\n
  10. Emotional Intelligence<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    According to those who play this game best, these words represent the path to organizational salvation and success.\u00a0There’s only one problem. They are wrong and they don’t. Trustworthy organizations cannot exist without a trustworthy leader, and they can’t be built “around” the leader. Instead, he or she must willingly accept the hammer,\u00a0hit the\u00a0nails and make sure they are straight. The hammer can’t be delegated to HR or middle management.<\/p>\n

    Trustworthy leadership “lingo” hasn’t changed. It’s always been and will always be about character, competence and consistency with some generosity thrown in for good measure. Or as we like to say<\/a>, trustworthy leaders are VIPs: Values, Integrity & Promises kept.<\/p>\n

    If implemented, some of the “word game” strategies above may provide a temporary bandage for a festering wound, but sooner or later the infection will return. \u00a0Organizations run by trustworthy leaders don’t need new age lingo, they just need integrity.\u00a0Sometimes “old” and proven works best.<\/p>\n

    Barbara Brooks Kimmel<\/strong>\u00a0is the Executive Director of\u00a0<\/span>Trust Across America-Trust Around the World<\/a>\u00a0whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning\u00a0<\/span>TRUST INC.<\/a>\u00a0book series and the Executive Editor of\u00a0<\/span>TRUST! Magazine<\/a>. In 2012 Barbara was named \u201cOne of 25 Women Changing the World\u201d by Good Business International.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Our 2015 Poster, 52 Weeks of Activities to Increase Organizational Trust<\/a> is available\u00a0to those who would like to support our work by making a small donation.<\/p>\n

    Copyright 2015, Next Decade, Inc.<\/p>\n