In honor of the late and great Gene Hackman, I’d like to show one of OKA’s favorite movie clips that illustrates two different styles of leadership.

The clip is from Crimson Tide. To summarize, this crew, lead by Captain Ramsey (Gene Hackman) and his second in command (Denzel Washington) is operating a nuclear submarine. They may be ordered at any moment to launch a nuclear attack, and, under the pressure, their clashing leadership styles shine. The film (which is fantastic, go watch it) begs a question that is incredibly topical and relevant to us today: How do effective leaders brave the storm?

It would be an understatement to say that our current times are uncertain. Even for those of us who do not work in the federal government, it can feel unclear what happens next. Layoffs, return to office policies, organizational restructuring – both inside and outside the government – and the rise of AI will change many peoples’ lives in the short term – and even more in the long term.

Leaders everywhere are faced with the daunting task of taking care of their teams and assuring them everything’s going to be okay – even when it might not be. The unpleasant truth is that workplace challenges will probably get harder before they get easier. The path forward for all of us is to rally people together by building connection, cohesion, and most importantly, trust.

Two Components of Trust

Good leadership and trust-building come in an endless variety of shades, styles, and approaches – one size does not fit all. However, through our work, we’ve found two common components of building trust:

1. You have to really mean it
2. Be quick, but don’t hurry

You Have to Mean It

Everything else is negotiable, or subject to personal touch. Even at OKA, we have several psychological models that provide unique perspectives on how to get the most out of your teams. Leaders can study the theory until they’re blue in the face – but if they don’t really mean it, it shows.

At some point, we have all known someone who thought they were too good to be there. A coach who thinks they deserve a higher-performing team, a professor who just wants to research, or a teammate who is clearly biding their time for a more lucrative opportunity—these are all black holes to trust and energy.

“Meaning it” can look different depending on the circumstance– some teams might require a leader to have a genuine faith in the mission (like non-profits or sports teams) while other teams might require more investment in me, the individual, and our relationship. While communication and leadership training can help a leader more effectively convey their conviction, there is no amount of technique or practice that will compensate for a leader who simply doesn’t care. If you want your people to trust you and believe in you when times get tough, you have to be invested in what happens to them and the team.

“Be Quick, but Don’t Hurry”

This point is a direct quote and homage to John Wooden, legendary NCAA Men’s Basketball coach. Effective leaders can take a myriad of actions to start building trust with their team: advocating for raises or perks for their team, recognizing and reinforcing good performance, reassuring someone when they make a mistake, or noticing and embracing unique things about a team member. These are all effective, tried-and-true strategies to build mutual trust within a team. However, these are not boxes to check off and move on. Leaders who hurry through and treat them as a chore defeat the purpose of these actions as trust-building. Leaders should take trust-building actions quickly and regularly, but keep in mind that trust does not adhere to object permanence; trust is not “acquired” and then held securely – it needs to be regularly maintained.

Some teams adhere strictly to hierarchy and chain of command, so they will obey a leader’s directions on day one. However, compliance is not indicative of trust. It takes time and mutual effort to trust one another – and that trust does not last indefinitely, or without maintenance. Which actions are the most effective will depend on the ways each person is unique – both the leader and the team. Every leader’s approach will be different, and they can take action at any time, but building trust is a continuous process, not a milestone.

I will leave you with a profound secret about leadership: people want to matter. They want to be seen; they want to be important, and their leaders are uniquely equipped to make that happen. Give them a chance to matter, and they will meet you halfway. Building trust as a leader is not easy, but it is simple: you have to mean it, and you have to give it time. When clouds darken, and forces outside our control make our futures threatening and unpredictable, trust in one another is all we have.

If you are interested in learning more about building trust and connection as a leader, OKA is hosting a free webinar on March 25^th, from 1-2pm EST. We would love for you to come and bring your questions, hear from other leaders about their challenges, and learn strategies for managing the stress your team is facing. Please sign up using the contact form below, or email Catherine Germinario (cgerminario@oka-online.com) to see how we can bring leadership development to your organization.