Widgetized Section

Go to Admin » Appearance » Widgets » and move Gabfire Widget: Social into that MastheadOverlay zone

The Leadership Power of Trust

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By April Townsend
January 24, 2025

“Beleaguered,” “Scandal-Ridden,” “Alleged Misuse of Public Funds”—Years ago these were the headlines in a local newspaper regarding a government organization where I was working. What emerged during that time led to a number of news stories that deeply impacted the public’s trust in the leaders of the organization. It also left employees wondering whom they could trust. 

This experience underscored to me how pivotal trust is to the success of any relationship, but particularly the relationship between citizens and their government. In public administration, trust isn’t t a luxury; it’s the foundation that supports effective governance. We see the lack of trust in poll results showing that many Americans are experiencing declining levels of trust, whether it’s in government, elected officials or each other. Given the current divisive political climate, it would be safe to say that the issue of trust within the public sphere isn’t going away any time soon.

Why Trust Matters in Public Administration

As public leaders, we are responsible for guiding the policies and decisions that impact the lives of those in our communities. The challenges we face require collaboration that balances competing interests across diverse groups and our effectiveness hinges on our ability to foster trust with citizens, our team members and stakeholders both within and outside of our organization. Simply stated, we need trust to solve our problems.

Without trust, even the best policies will fall flat. Yet when trust is present, we have the opportunity to transform challenging situations into opportunities for collective growth and progress. In a nutshell, trust isn’t just a “nice-to-have” quality in leadership—it’s a fundamental necessity.

Key Practices to Building Trust

As important as trust is to a leader’s success, it’s worth acknowledging that trust isn’t automatically given. Earning and maintaining trust takes intentional and consistent effort. Four key components to building trust include:

  1. Create transparency: Transparency is at the core of trust in public administration. As a leader, it’s important that you communicate openly about policies, decisions and are willing to explain the rationale behind them. People on your team value clarity and honesty, even when the news is unpleasant. Regular updates, accessible data and clear communication channels demonstrate a commitment to openness and help mitigate misinformation or distrust. Without trust, you can communicate all you want but those around you will most likely discount what you say and will be reluctant to act on any direction you try to provide.
  2. Straight talk: The best leaders that I’ve seen encourage open discussions and are willing to get to the root of the problem, even if it’s painful. While not always pleasant, they realize it’s critical to “tell it like it is.” Straight talk also means being accountable by holding yourself and others responsible for actions and outcomes. When you are willing to take responsibility, it can reinforce the confidence and trust others have in you.
  3. Character and competence: Trusted leaders in public administration are aware of and make every effort to adhere to established ethical principles, while avoiding conflicts of interest, favoritism or corruption. We’ve all seen examples of what happens when there is a lapse in integrity—trust is quickly eroded and rebuilding it is a challenging, time-intensive process. Employees also need to trust their leader’s competence to guide the team effectively. To do this, leaders need to continually develop their skills to build on their existing expertise. As leaders in public administration, making informed decisions while effectively managing resources can help others have confidence in your ability to deliver results.
  4. Extend trust: Employees who don’t feel trusted, who feel micromanaged or “snooper-vised,” don’t perform as well as those who feel that their supervisor genuinely trusts them. I once heard that “being trusted is the most inspiring form of human motivation.” That really resonated with me and is supported by research on the importance of listening to and valuing the perspectives and feelings of others. In practical terms, it means putting down and putting away your technology so that you’re looking at the person in front of you. Listening to them and trying to immerse yourself in their perspective can open up new and unexpected ways to collaborate. In the meantime, when you show that you genuinely care for your employees’ well-being, you create a deeper connection, often earning their respect as well as their trust. As leaders in public administration, we can create stronger bonds of trust when we actively listen to different perspectives and make decisions that have provided opportunities for input from a variety of sources.

Conclusion

In today’s fast-paced and dynamic environment, trust is more important than ever. It isn’t just an abstract concept, but a tangible asset critical to effective public administration leadership. It’s the glue that holds teams together and can be the catalyst for achieving extraordinary outcomes. In my experience, trust is what transforms a manager into a true leader and leaders who prioritize trust will find themselves not only respected but may also find the key to unlocking the full potential of their teams.


Author: Dr. April Townsend worked in the public sector for over 30 years, holding a variety of executive leadership positions. As a Research Fellow with the Utah Women & Leadership Project, she has published numerous reports and articles focused on leadership, particularly the challenges faced by women leaders. Her email is: [email protected].  Twitter handle: @AprilT2014

 

 

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *