A hallmark of your ability to lead and scale any team or business hinges on the ability to trust your processes, systems and most importantly the people around you.

Easier said than done.

My article this past week focused on an insight from a heavy-hitter venture capitalist, who said the biggest obstacle they see in founders & leaders is the ability or willingness to trust those around them. Last week we unpacked some big culprits to a lack of trust including stress & fear, perceived lack of control, a fixed mindset and a work-based identity.

Leaders not being able to let go and trust has massive consequences on the business. If you’re not able to trust as a leader, the people around you likely don’t feel trusted. A Harvard Business Review article quoted research from Dr. Paul J. Zak that found “compared with people at low-trust companies, people at high-trust companies report: 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, 40% less burnout.”

This article will provide strategies that a leader can take to increase their ability to trust and by doing so, remove lids on your business & personal growth.

Reduce your negative stress

Stress is a huge contributor to a lack of trust. The “stress hormones” like cortisol and adrenaline inhibit the presence of oxytocin, which is the neurotransmitter associated with trust.

Negative stress comes in forms like anxiety, self-doubt, generalized fear. It’s “negative” because it is unnecessary and negatively affects your thoughts & emotional state.

Reduce this stress through various forms of meditation/prayer, mindfulness practices, breath work, mental imagery, quality time with loved ones, movement and other forms of stress reduction that work for you.

If you do not have a stress reduction strategy that works for you, hiring a great coach might be your next move.

Create stressful challenges

Remember, stress isn’t inherently bad. It’s how we view stress when we experience it. When you work with team members on a challenging, yet achievable goal, the tasks to achieve that goal actually produce trust.

Set up a challenge that is difficult, yet achievable with a definitive end point. The goals must be clear and communicated upfront. Bonus points for clarity on the milestones & benchmarks to achieve the big goal.

Research shows that 76% of workers report their best days at work involve making noticeable progress toward a goal. That challenge and the achievement with your involvement as a leader will foster your feelings of trust.

Gratitude

Studies show that practicing specific gratitude, especially for individuals and situations involving other people, promotes feelings of trust.

If you are grateful for someone or what someone has done to benefit you, your levels of trust in them will increase.

Consider adding those closest to you at work in a gratitude practice for beginning one specifically for your career. Get specific about why you are grateful for people and events.

Additionally, tell people that you are grateful for them or their actions in genuine & specific ways. Nothing overly elaborate is necessary. Again, as long as it’s specific & genuine. It could be as simple as, “I’m grateful for how you took what could have been an unpleasant client experience and worked with them to create a win for them and for the team.” Short, specific and genuine.

Intentionally build relationships

We are social creatures. Studies show that when we engage with people on a social or personal level, our stress goes down and our trust increases.

Dr. Zak’s research shows that when people intentionally build social ties, performance improves. Get to know the people closest to you more personally in addition to just a business relation centered around getting things done. Understand what is important to them in their career and outside of their career. Develop a deep caring for them as people. Your trust will naturally increase.

When you are able to use strategies to build feelings of trust as a leader, your business will have found an unlock to greater profits and you will have greater opportunities for finding fulfillment in the business.