"I Trust My People!"
The phrase “My People” is used loosely to mean a variety of things including: my family, my friends, my homeboys/homegirls, my network, my team, my staff, my disciples… We are going to focus on the term “My People” from the standpoint of a leader and their followers; however this can be applied to other areas of life.
Trust is defined as- Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.
As a leader it is important for me to first hire able people and over time truly trust/place firm reliance on them for the organization’s success. When I begin to really know “My People” and understand what will allow them to most effectively contribute to the success of the organization… I then trust them to do their job. That’s how this working relationship makes sense; it’s all based on trust. I trust them to do a good job and they trust me to speak into their lives and to their area of responsibility. The reason it is so difficult for micro-managers to lead is because a micro-manager is basically saying “I Don’t Trust My People!”
Just as Jesus trusted his Disciples to carry out his work; you trust your people carry out the work. In Biblical illustrations, a good shepherd would name their sheep, speak to them quietly each day and pat them on the head to settle them down each evening. As leaders it’s important to trust your people, get to “really” know their name/give them a nickname if you will, speak quietly into their lives/their work/their future, and pat them on the back/give them some attaboys/instill confidence in them and settle them down when necessary.
People will become what the most significant people in their life think they will become… “You should trust your people… I Trust My People!”
- What has been your experience in environments where people did or didn’t trust their people?
- Share stories and thoughts on the importance of trusting your people.
