Leadership and the Culture of Trust

Leadership is not something one does alone. It is an expression of collective, community action—unified action of leaders and followers who trust enough to jointly achieve mutual goals. The task of creating a culture conducive to interactive trust is perhaps the preeminent leadership task. This practical guide identifies the key elements leaders need to manipulate to create such a trust culture in any work environment. By learning to shape culture to meet changing needs—by learning to be continually responsive to the organization's vision as well as to the needs of a changing follower core—the leader can create the situation necessary for any successful organization, one where followers can trust others and feel free to work together to gain mutually desired goals.