Ilana Abramowicz
Appearances
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: How to Build Trust and Transform Executive Team Performance
Thank you, Emma. It's lovely to be here.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: How to Build Trust and Transform Executive Team Performance
What we've seen through the course of the work that we've done over the last few years is the types of behaviors that really go a long way to establish those stable, connected, trusting relationships are one, give credit, don't take credit, give credit. Two, if I make a mistake, I own it. I don't bury anybody else. And this is a really interesting one, this third one, put it in the vault.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: How to Build Trust and Transform Executive Team Performance
Information is something that isn't to be traded. If I share, if I am talking to a leader and I hear some gossip from that leader about somebody else, I am worried and concerned that what I share with you, you share with somebody else. So that piece around the sanctity of sacred space and put it in the vaults is the way to create trust.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: How to Build Trust and Transform Executive Team Performance
That is a fantastic question. We do a lot of work, as you know, Emma, with CEOs that are moving into roles, either transitioning up through the business or coming externally inside. The first thing that we always suggest is be quiet and listen. Ask as many questions. It's your time to ask stupid questions. Show genuine curiosity and engagement with the leadership team.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: How to Build Trust and Transform Executive Team Performance
They've been there before you. They know a lot more about the context than you do. And I'm thinking of a live example at the moment of a CEO that I am supporting on some transition coaching. Now, he is coming from a much larger company.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: How to Build Trust and Transform Executive Team Performance
What the business does not want to hear is how wonderful it was at company X and how rubbish it is at company Y and how company Y's culture needs to change to company X. They want to know how he's going to adapt to make them brilliant, not how. He's constantly comparing them to something that was.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: How to Build Trust and Transform Executive Team Performance
So some of the telltale signs to see if there is trust is... Really small things. What's the level of banter in the room before a meeting? How much personal disclosure is there? Who speaks first in a room when you're throwing in a question and you're waiting for some decision making to happen? Is it always the same people and then others follow in suit, echoing what they've already heard?
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: How to Build Trust and Transform Executive Team Performance
Or is there healthy debate and healthy conflict in the room? Another one is everyone says yes far too quickly and then you leave the room and you see through breadcrumbs that function X has gone off and done their own thing, function Y is doing their own thing. So those are some of the things that would give me an insight into if the leader was really trusted or not.