Passionate leaders are energized by both the cause they serve AND by leading those who serve the cause with them. Both must be present for maximum impact. Passionate leaders don't say "I love the work, except for the people part".  In short, passionate leaders love the cause and all involved in it.

Embodied Trust is one of The Six Pillars of Passionate Leadership. Passionate leaders who "embody trust" aren't just trustworthy, they continually demonstrate trustworthiness in interactions all day long.

One effective way to embody trust is to be on high alert for creating human connection.  Human connection happens when we feel safe enough to be vulnerable.  Brene Brown defines vulnerability as "uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure".  For Brown, vulnerability is "not weakness; it our most accurate measure of courage". 

As leaders we must have the courage to "go first" when it comes to human connection.  What does that look like?  

Connection happens when we share our personal stories. 
Deep connection happens when we share our fears.

I so admire one of my clients who shared with his senior staff the reason he had trouble trusting them. It wasn’t about them, he said, but about a previous experience when trust was decimated.  As I watched him face his fears and share his story, I could feel the connections being formed. 

The foundation of trust is found in relationship-building through personal stories.  When those you lead feel safe enough to share stories of both triumph and tragedy, especially with people who experience life differently from them, they usually find themselves saying, “Oh my gosh, me too!”  Bingo!!  Connection!!

What difference does trust and connection make?  To quote Brown again, "Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change".   And wouldn't you agree that those are essential ingredients for creating maximum impact for your clients?

So, go ahead - go first.  Share a personal story with your team!!

If you want to hear more from Brene Brown on vulnerability, check out her TED talk here.   

Passionate Leader Pillar #4 - Embodied Trust

You continuously demonstrate what trust looks and feels like in all your interactions.

About the Author

Gayle Ely is a Leadership Coach, Trainer and Facilitator and founder of Total Life Leadership. At Total Life Leadership, we partner with purpose-driven non-profit leaders and service entrepreneurs to help them answer the question “How Do I Become a Better Leader?”

Using The Six Pillars of Passionate Leadership, we equip leaders to be the best they can be.  The result is a passionate leader whose team and organization are operating for maximum impact.

Explore what’s getting in the way of passion in your leadership. Schedule an exploratory conversation. There is no cost and lots of value.

Schedule your complimentary conversation here.

Click here to subscribe to the weekly newsletter.

Linked-In profile

View The Six Pillars of Passionate Leadership here.
View The Power of Passionate Leadership Model here.