LEADERS NEED PEOPLE TO FOLLOW THEM!

You don't follow people you don't trust!

I have a dear friend - I have known him many years - I think he is great - but... I don't trust him!!

He never turns up for anything on time, if he turns up at all. He say's he is going to organise things but doesn't. He borrows money and forgets to pay it back sometimes. Strangely this all part of his charm!! We all love him but we don't trust him because he is so inconsistent, he doesn't follow through, he doesn't do what he says he is going to.

A few years ago he had the bright idea of a few of us signing up for a charity bike ride across Europe. He enthused and motivated us with stories of how much fun we would have etc etc. He left the pub saying he would look into it and send us the details. After he left we all turned to each other and said "yeah right - like that's going to happen!"

As a leader he showed us where we were going, he gave us good reasons why we should go there and probably left the pub thinking we were motivated and were committed to the trip.

But we weren't going to follow! By definition you are not a leader if there is nobody following!!

People will only commit to your journey if they trust you - they may like you, but if they don't trust you they won't be with you.

If you are in-consistent, don't always follow through with what you say you are going to etc. then you have to re-build that trust.

WARNING:  It will take time to build that trust - trust can never be built overnight. You will have to prove  that you have changed and the only way to to do that is to show consistent action for a period of time which will then make people change their view of you.

Have fun,

Alan