Few things bolster our confidence more than when someone expresses confidence in us, especially coming from our leader. I trust your judgment. I recently overheard this statement being shared from one person to another. Those four words, spoken with sincerity, blanketed a soothing balm over the tension that saturated the entire room. It was beautiful.
Do you trust the judgment of the people who report to you? If so, do you tell them?
In order for us to speak this statement and mean it, we must believe a few principles about it or the sentiment will come across as fake, which is worse than not saying it all. Here are five principles to examine as you issue your trust.
- Trusting someone does not mean we believe they get it right 100% of the time. Their average success rate only has to be good, or good enough to meet our expectations.
- Trusting someone does not mean they get it right more often than we do. Even if someone’s average success rate is less than our own, let them try their ideas—because you can trust them.
- Aim to trust people and tell them you trust them, particularly in their areas of strength, or in areas in which they are developing strength. Meaning, even if they are not demonstrating world class skills just yet, but you believe they are on their way to excellence, begin expressing your trust to them. Your articulated trust will build their confidence.
- Even more powerful than telling someone, “I trust your judgment,” is telling them then leaving them alone to exercise their judgment and make the call.
- If, when editing or improving someone’s work in the name of teamwork or collaborative work, we communicate to them that their work is good but then we add to it or change it to bring it up to an executive level, our actions nullify our words. Sometimes, leaders should refrain from saying, “I have confidence in you,” but communicate confidence nonverbally by not adding to or editing their work.
I am reminded of how the apostle Paul wrote to his mentee, Timothy, these beautiful words in 2 Timothy 1:6-7, telling him, I have confidence in you, as Paul demonstrated great leadership to Timothy. “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
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