How to Build Your Confidence in Your Employees

The biggest difference between a manager and a leader is a leader may or may not have a formal title and a place on the organizational chart, but a leader always has a relationship where people willingly follow them. People don’t follow people who they don’t respect or trust.

When it comes to trust, it’s a Catch 22. You either trust people or you don’t trust people. Either way, you are usually right. If you trust people, you usually delegate freely, clarify expectations and outcomes, and then you stand back and let them do their job. If you do not trust people, you tend to avoid delegating important tasks unless you absolutely have to. And when you do delegate, you micro-manage the employee because you lack trust that without your oversight, they won’t do things the way you want them done.

The following tips will help you in having the confidence in your employees to freely delegate responsibility and reap the benefits:

First, trust yourself: If you don’t believe that you can recover from just about any mistake an employee makes, then you will be hesitant to put your career or fate into anyone else’s hands. To be a great leader, you have to truly believe that no matter what mistake someone makes, you can recover and make an even more positive outcome.

Communicate your vision and values: When employees are crystal clear on your vision for the organization or your team, and the values that guide your decisions, they won’t have to guess what decisions you would make in specific situations.

Put safeguards in place: Blind trust is not what great leaders do. Like President Ronald Reagan was famous for saying, “Trust, but verify.” Ensure you have the safeguards in place to guide the right outcome of your delegated tasks.

Hire winners: Great employees are connected at the head and the heart and are willing to do whatever it takes to produce a positive outcome. Many times, great employees care so much that there’s no chance for a negative outcome.

Reward employees for taking initiative: If employees take initiative, reward them for having the courage to make decisions that are in alignment with your vision and values. Will there be some bad decisions? You bet. That’s your opportunity to coach, but not change your belief in trusting employees. Employees want to do the right thing and with the right coaching and encouragement, they’ll find making the right decision easier.

Explain the why: If you’re going to overturn an employee decision or not support their decision with the team, your boss or a customer, tell them why before making the decision. Being honest about your decision, and encouraging your employee to continue to take the lead and make decisions in this area will signal that even though there is a difference of opinion in this specific situation, you still trust their decisions.

One leader can only do so much effectively. Let go of routine, ordinary activities to focus your efforts on big picture leadership. Delegation and empowerment are critical to your success. Believe in your employees to multiply your talent, grow your business and build trust in the workplace.

Image via Flickr user Skydive Lillo.