Tag: Trust

Usually 50% At Best

Trust. Distrust.

Like.  Dislike.

Do you trust your leader?  Do you like your leader?

Take President Barack Obama, or any President for that matter.  Usually, at best, a President receives between 50-60% of the popular vote.  More or less half. Stay with me here.

What this means is the other half don’t like and don’t trust the President, relatively speaking.

And it’s the same in large organizations and small businesses. Seriously, it is.

Why do we try so hard to be liked, when in reality, the best we can ever hope for is about half.

Take Simon Cowell, from American Idol (yes, many of you hate Simon and the show), while many people do not like him, everyone trusts that he will tell the truth.

And the reason we know Simon will always tell the truth, is because he always does. Sounds simple, but Simon is consistent to a fault. He’s honest even if it’s “bad news”.

And yet, he’s crystal clear about his mission – select the very best singer. Period. Determine the “Gold Medal” winner. Select the next American Idol.

Most don’t like him. Most absolutely trust him.

If trust is the most important leadership characteristic, who gives a flip about being liked?

Maybe Integrity Is Most Important

You know what?  Maybe it’s integrity that’s the most important leadership characteristic.

Yes, definitely, integrity has to be the most important leadership characteristic. How could it not be?

Isn’t integrity the most critical of all leadership values? A great leader must have integrity.

Someone who adheres to moral and ethical principles. A person with sound moral character.  An honest person.

All of this sounds great – a leader who is honest, with sound moral character. A perfect person. This makes a great leader.

Waaaaait a minnnnnute.  Who knows anyone who is perfect?

Passion Trust Vision Decisiveness

Passion Trust Vision Decisiveness.

Wait, jungle jeff is going to change his top leadership characteristic again. First it was Trust, then Vision, and finally Passion.

Now you’re saying it’s decisiveness?

Well, maybe.

Just kidding.  Passion.  Number one leadership trait. Passion.

Can you imagine trusting someone without passion? Can you imagine a vision not inspired by passion?

Leader Vision Leader Passion

The most important leadership characteristics have been the jungle jeff topic on the past few blog posts.

First it was trust.

Then vision.

Now, actually, I’m going to just come out and say it.

The number one leader characteristic is passion.  Hands down, passion.

Final answer.

Passion!

Agree or disagree?

Leadership Vision Leader Trust

Okay, so if trust is the most important great leader characteristic, where does vision fall?

Well, as crazy, and contradictory as this is going to sound, vision is actually the most important.  What the?  Exactly.

Vision is the reason we wake up in the morning.  Vision is the reason we wake up in the middle of the night.  Vision is the reason we can’t fall asleep. Vision is what makes us do ordinary things in an extra-ordinary fashion.

Vision is a view of the future that is better than the current view.

Not talking vision statement here.  Heck, no one knows that it is anyway.  Seriously.  No one does.  And if anyone does, it’s someone who wrote it – and by now they’re probably retired or dead.  But no one else. (I’ll call your bluff on this one if you really want to disagree)

This is what makes leaders great.  A vision for the future that is better than the current vision.

A vision that is lofty, hard to articulate and you may not say it the same way twice.  A vision that is impossible.

A vision is more important than trust.