It (still) starts with trust

A couple of weeks ago Academic Search--the firm I work with for higher education executive search and coaching--released a leadership study titled 2024 Competencies for the College Presidency (https://www.academicsearch.org/blog/competencies-for-the-college-presidency-webinar/)

Not surprisingly, the study contains findings that are relevant both within higher education and beyond.

Trust building was the topic in the study most frequently rated as very relevant—96% of respondents rated as very relevant the need to behave in a way that is trustworthy, consistent, and accountable.

Those who follow leadership literature will not find this surprising. In Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, absence of trust is the first of those dysfunctions—the one that, without being adequately addressed, creates a culture in which the other four will continue. And Charles Duhigg in Smarter Faster Better uses examples from Google and the early days of Saturday Night Live to illustrate the importance of an environment of psychological safety—another way to describe an environment of trust. All of these sources highlight the importance of interpersonal relationships as central to building an environment of trust—the report through data, Duhigg through both data and anecdote, Lencioni through the power of story. 

Higher education has slightly different areas of emphasis, however. For example, while authors like Duhigg and Lencioni would certainly support the concept of ensuring a voice for a variety of stakeholders, the shared governance model that provides structure for that voice is unique to colleges and universities. Attention to process—often related to building decision-making in a manner consistent with the principles of shared governance—seems a more prominent topic for higher education leaders than others.

As I consider the leaders I work with daily, I wonder if that impression is a fair one—perhaps all industries have a similarly high value on process. And I also wonder the implications—for better, worse, or just different—of that important dimension on building an environment of trust. 

What I don’t wonder about is whether it’s important for leaders to begin with trust. If there was any doubt, this study should yet again put that to rest.

Interested in exploring the implications of this topic for you, your team, or your institution? Just let me know...I'd love to hear your experience and support you in your leadership journey!