You’re struggling to find your footing as a new manager. How can you get your team to trust you?

As a new manager, your team will trust you if they feel that you KNOW what you are talking about, that you are WALKING THE TALK, and that you SHOW GENUINE INTEREST IN EACH TEAM MEMBER. For this later point, a good idea is to set an individual meeting with each of your team member to get to know them as a person (who they are, what energizes them, what drains them, what is important to them, how to best communicate with them, etc) and also ask questions to understand their day to day jobs, the challenges faced, what is working and what they feel could be done better. Be someone that can help them DEVELOP themselves, GROW.

When they walk up to your desk, do you have your head dipped in your laptop or do you sit straight, look into their eyes and listen? Trust building starts from active listening! The team should feel that their opinions or questions are cared for. So stop what you are doing for a while and listen to them.

I am intentional about practicing active listening. That is, listening with my heart, not just my ears. This helps people feel heard, even if I do not have a solution to prescribe.

As per my experience, first I will observe current situation of project, study project plan, understand my team’s strengths and stakeholders expectations. Along side another important aspect will be to active listening in and around which might give me more ideas about the project and expectations to meet.

Conversation is the essence of real leadership. The origin of the word ‘conversation’ was “to change together…” And there can be no real conversation without vulnerability… if one is to create trust… It isn’t simply listening and reflecting it back like a parrot… It is about connecting in deeper than superficial ways… finding ways to resonate together… creating a shared vision for moving forward… All of that requires connection and community… not… immunity…

• Foster open communication. • Lead by example with integrity and consistency. • Actively listen to their feedback and concerns. • Support their development and provide opportunities for growth. • Empower them with autonomy and responsibility. • Be transparent about goals and decision-making. • Encourage collaboration and value their contributions. • Respect diversity and inclusivity. • Hold yourself and the team accountable. • Build positive relationships individually. • Apply situational leadership style depending on the situation and the people being dealt with

Three years ago when I applied for a first manager role, I had to go through a role-playing exercise during the assessment center. The feedback I received afterwards stayed with me forever "You overwhelmed your peer with words." The lesson I took that day was that the silence moments are not a demonstration of my inability to help, but an opportunity for my peer to step into the empty space and share their thoughts. Giving space creates a safe space for sharing. Practicing "How are you?" and actually waiting for the answer, showing a sincere interest in how life looks from your peers perspective really ignites their willingness to step in and be a partner in reaching results.

It's so easy for our minds to wander, or for us to start thinking about what we want to say next. But when this happens, we miss really hearing what our team are saying. Some tips that I’ve found really handy over the years: Write things down - even when you’re in a casual conversation, have your pen at the ready, this helps with memory coding. Don’t take your laptop or phone into meetings (ever) - No you won’t miss an important notification. This helps to keep you wholly focused on the conversation at hand Be curious - Ask more questions to get to the real truth of what this person is trying to say to you, or to understand their idea/opinion deeper

As a new leader, I recognize that active listening and restating what I heard, builds trust between me and my direct reports and other colleagues. The sense of being heard and understood is important in the relationship building.

Empathy feels like a word people throw around all the time, but here's a practical action I use to practice Empathy: Next time you’re in a disagreement with someone at work, take a moment to genuinely try and see where the other person is coming from. We really struggle to do this because of bias an ego. We’ll keep fighting out corner. But I need you to try hard. Try and assume the best intentions in them. Seek to understand over judging, and when you go back in, practice active listening skills. This doesn’t mean we can’t continue to disagree, discipline or overrule as a leader. Sometimes we are right. But you can only be certain, and act in the best faith, when you have first practiced empathy.

Empathy transcends mere words—it's shown through actions. This principle has greatly strengthened my connections with colleagues.

Costumo observar, reconhecer e aceitar os sentimentos da outra pessoa, mesmo que não concorde com eles, sem minimizar ou julgar suas experiências. Procuro formas de estar ciente do bem-estar da outra pessoa. Ofereço ajuda concreta, se possível. Simplesmente estar presente e oferecer um ouvido atento pode fazer a diferença. Pequenos gestos, mas tão difíceis de serem praticados.

Reflective responses, validating individual experiences as real, active body language, asking open-ended questions, and sharing genuine life experiences when appropriate are all methods of showing empathy in 1:1 conversations. As a leader, by practicing bringing your most authentic self to dialogue, you are more likely to build rapport and openness in your interactions. This level of compassion unlocks curiosity and the ability to coach, mentor, and best support outcomes.

Google's Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute do a great course on Empathy and Leadership. It's very practical, founded on excellent research, and I enjoyed it a great deal. It helps to explain the crucial importance of Empathy as the foundation for leadership in a scientific way. Empathy is not just sitting with someone pretending to feel what they feel; it can be deployed in an active, pragmatic, and logical manner. A solid formula for practicing Empathy is the Socratic Method.

Trust = Credibility X Intimacy 1. Build credibility by facilitating a journey to a guided success path. Listening & empathising will help them know that you are an interpersonal resource over and above functional support. Many a times a professionally legit assistance, advice or relief will let your team know that you value them beyond hierarchical relationships. 2. Intimacy can be increased with several good, bad and ugly shared experiences. Some examples are celebrating their success to boost confidence, recognising the team in open forums, team failure needs to be owned together wherever necessary to ensure a cohesive environment. 3. If you manage to complete step one and two correctly, then Trust will follow automatically.

☸️ "#empathy in action = #compassion" (Credit: #OHHDL) so to be bold, be kind, and do good. If the mid-management to do so, their people will appreciate and follow the leaders and the related influencing for impact could be huge to change the culture of the whole organization, and culture is 🌱 "one's behaviors, replicated." (Credit: Susan David, Ph.D on #emotionalagility) 🫶

In my experience as a new leader, one area I am actively developing in is empathy. I now have to relate and connect with others in ways that are different when I was not in a leadership role. Empathy is extremely essential in leading and supporting others. It has taught me to meet others where they are.

If you really want to make strides with your team with them 1st and seek feedback on anything you report up the chain. The only exception would be HR stuff. This makes everything transparent and they start to trust you as their leader.

I agree with Heather. Cornerstone of any trust building or for that matter communication is empathy. And by empathy I mean taking a pause to understand someone's perspective and the reason for that perspective. This requires an open and honest conversation which isn't adversarial but explorative. A leader should attempt to take everyone along. Another approach is to sit with the team and practice an appreciative inquiry. When you come in new to the team, the last thing the team wants to hear is what all can be done well !!

There's great research showing that the best bosses are clear about desired outcomes, but quite flexible about how an employee gets there. A great form of support, therefore, is simply allowing people to try while being available to guide them when needed. This requires the leader to assume the employee is fundamentally capable at making sound judgment calls. When leaders give this latitude, trust flourishes.

Avoid micromanagement, celebrate success, help to identify what need to be corrected if something goes wrong and support improvement plan. Claim that : it's OK to do mistake when you try, it's forbidden not trying.

Hire the best and set them free. Encourage people to set healthy boundaries for themselves. If you've indeed hired the best, and those aligned with your purpose and mission, you'll have no reason to worry about their deliveries. Support your teams with collaboration and education. Give them structures to succeed, clarity and rigor for how to step up, level up, take risks, and win really big. Everyone needs something different, too. So... ask. And ask often. How can we support you? And then follow through.

Let's be real... Supporting others as a servant leader requires said leader to put their ego aside. Put their ambitions aside. Put their glory/recognition aside. Why? Because the team comes first. The team comes first because they are the ones getting the job done...whatever it may be. If the team succeeds, you succeeds. There is a great deal of selflessness required.

🦋 "To serve is to live." (Credit: Frances Hesselbein) so to #giveitall #riskitall #learnitall - In the back, the intentional, courageous, and urgent leadership as called in daily behavioral level on the customer-facing frontline, since by the end of the day, all those products/services as well designed, they target to the end-users and their #CX as the customers as needed to be well addressed and reflected on tons of quota-driven metrics. And there are always "Think-Say-Do" gaps as met on the customer-facing frontline and at those moments, the mid-management's courageous behaviors matter to choose to serve, share, and solve. So may why people also say leadership is a choice instead of rank or title. And every one can make a choice to lead.

An overlooked way of Supporting one's team is to ensure as much clarity around desired outcomes, ways of working, and timeframes as possible. Research shows people only remember 4% of what is discussed in a meeting after 24 hours. Ensuring your team can refer back to clear, accurate, understandable documentation to refresh themselves around agreements and asks is one of the best ways of supporting your team. Quite often people will be embarrassed to ask team members details they've forgotten, so enabling them to refer back to documentation without anyone else knowing can bea. big support. Other answers here have covered other aspects, so this aspect is one I feel to highlight.

One thing I have found helpful is asking about preferred communication styles. As part of my team building roadmap, my team and I work on creating "Conditions for Success" and how we give and receive communication is part of the conditions we agree upon. Defining what communication needs my team has, has been extremely helpful in how I communicate to the team and with each individual member.

If a manager wants to gain the trust of his team, they can start earning it by asking how they can help the individuals on their team be successful. “Help me help you…” By asking what your team members need from you, sitting back and truly listening to what they are saying and then taking action in support of their success, you’ll be well on your way to earning their trust. Don’t forget to do what you say you are going to do!

I would add Often and at a Regular Cadence. Constant impromptu meetings don't help the teams. The lead to distractions while communicating. Especially don't call meeting at lunch time, respect their time. Don't ask them to give up their time just because you would.

Effective communication is critical for a manager to gain trust with their team members. Many leaders make assumptions that their team members really understand what is expected of them. To overcome this is to be intentional about clearly articulating the expectations of the work, end result, timelines, etc., as well, verbally seeking understanding and acceptance from the team member that they are understanding of the work and equipped to deliver on the expectations, and establishing a follow up communication workflow. Leaders will benefit by creating an environment of feedback with their team members that allow for recognition, constructive, and coaching moments to explore the experience of the work and maintain accountability.

In many moments of our lives the communication it was a problem and today it's yet. There is many opinions about this in the corporate world, but to me, the truth is: We still have a lot to learn with the topic of "Communication". The closer the manager is to the team, the more likely communication will work, as long as both sides promote this.

I firmly believe in the power of communication, particularly in a leadership role. In servant leadership, effective communication shapes the team and aligns the team's actions with the organization's objectives. A servant leader's communication is concise, consistent, constructive, and courteous, adapting to the team's needs. #ServantLeadership #Communication

Be open, honest, empathic, available (even if for short period), “two ears, one mouth” use proportionately. Underline all this with consistency….never make your team guess who you are or how you operate. That’s interesting in the movies….not in real life.

It is standard thinking if you are humble or vulnerable, that you aren't capable, but yet it is the opposite. Being open with others to not knowing, admitting mistakes, and asking for help shows you are "real" and builds connection with others. People resonate with others who are humble and vulnerable, and trust builds. Be open to express your feelings and demonstrate to your team that mistakes are learning opportunities, and support them through feedback for improvement.

1. Mentor and coach 2.There’s a term. MBWA management by walking around 3. Have a group brainstorming session. Listen to their issues/concerns 4. Always have their back. As long as they perform their best. 5. Provide the tools to make them successful 6. Take the team out for a social event. Long lunch, golf driving range, bowling 7. Never forget. There no “I” in TEAM

I remember when the best boss I've ever worked for joined the place where I was working. After a few days he took a few of us out for a beer after work. That did it for me ;-) But when we were out for a beer he said he was struggling as it was the first time he'd managed a branch and he asked us for ideas in terms of what he should do. I'll be honest, I don't think he was actually struggling. I think that was just a strategy to get us to open up. But that strategy actually worked. He went from being an unapproachable boss to being a friend that we wanted to work with. And we didn't view his claim that he was struggling as weakness.

Get off your butt, out of your office and get on the floor with your team! You don't have to DO their job for them but support whatever they need to be successful. Bartender= don't try to make drinks but bring them clean glasses and take away their dirty ones. Stocker = don't get in their way but give them a sharp box cutter and take away their broken down boxes! Race Car driver = make sure they never run out of gas No need to jump in and help DO their job as likely you may slow them down while your trying to make your point how you can "roll up your sleeves" with em. But make their job easier and give them whatever they need to not have to stop, slow down, reload or make trips that take them away from their most productive efforts.

Modeling the guiding principles of servant leadership is always the best way to guide. You're not a director, you're a guide. However, let me please make this point, which I find quite important in some situations. Humility can be tricky, and whether you need to practice more or less of it depends on your natural humility. For some, losing the ego is important to be able to serve in a low-authority, collaborative way where sharing personal vulnerability becomes a strength. For those naturally humble people, leaning deeper into egoless vulnerability can dip into an unhealthy sense of self, unable to acknowledge one's own impact. My advice is to humbly ask people whom you respect to 'rate' your humility, to gauge if it feels right.

Don't take credit for the teams work. Because you did not do their work. If you did do their work then you are not an effective teacher as a servant leader. You take credit for what you brought to the team to be successful, as long as it was not asking them how is it coming along every day.

To embody leadership is to be genuine in everything you touch. Communication, actions, and listening. They can't just be skills you learn and apply or a set of actions you take. They need to be 'YOU'. People are not fooled for long and sooner or later, your real self will rear it's head. Also, empower them by delegating tasks and providing support. Don't try to solve everything on your own. Do not fall into the temptation of wanting to prove your worth through self-made results. You need to acknowledge mistakes, and provide opportunities for growth both for yourself and your team. By demonstrating integrity, humility, and genuine care for your team, you'll earn their trust and foster a positive work environment.

Let them thrive on their own. Even if they fail they can learn from the experience. This will provide a great lesson. If you always catch them they aren't getting the true experience that they need.

Being a humble and vulnerable leader is key to having a team that will work above and beyond for a common goal. The more you share, the more honest you are, the better your team will grow together.

In my experience the role of a leader in the corporate world is also to shield the team from “red tape” and energy draining requirements that appear non-value adding. By being willing and able at the right time to push back on requirements for tasks generated from outside the team the leader enables the team to focus on what adds value. This too builds trust.

Having been there, I recommend transparently communicating the Intention and the challenges (as appropriate). Meaning, share that you’d like to build connection and support the team and to understand that it will take a few months to sort everything out. I personally would trust someone who’s open and honest with their goals and objectives which includes getting their leadership footing.

When you are a new manager, give the team sometime to get adjusted with you and your way of working. Understand how the team operates and make them feel that you are here to support them. Don’t bombard them with your priorities on Day1 itself rather have trust on them and take it slowly. Don’t blame existing processes or tools even though you feel there are opportunities to improve them. Be empathetic towards the team. Treat your team in such a way that they want to be treated.

Safety, vulnerability (belonging) then comes trust. The culture code by Dan Coyle discusses the science behind this framework. Pretty simple. When people feel safe, they share. When they share and you react appropriately they feel a sense of belonging. This leads to trust.

Lead with integrity ALWAYS. Be open and honest with your employees and consistently respond to their feedback and suggestions. “Do what you say you are going to do”, and be a role model for servant leadership. “Walk the talk”. Always be authentic, and not be afraid to admit when you are wrong. Being a humble, approachable leader will help greatly in building trust. ALWAYS keep you commitments. Also treat everyone fairly. Involve your team members as much as possible in decision making, and consistently communicate, communicate, communicate. Let you team members know you truly care about them by your words and deeds. The essence of all of the above, is to treat people the way that you would love to be treated. This is not a rocket science!

I like to do Team building with the team, to me it's a great moment to the manager to talk and get to know more about the team, thus generating a point of empathy and synergy that can and will certainly reflect on their continuation together.

What has always worked for me when becoming the leader of a new team is following: - Try to have a face-to-face meeting with the whole team as quickly as possible to ensure everyone gets to know everyone. But also to share info about yourself, how you work, what the team can expect from you as a leader. And of course to set the stage on the purpose of the team and how you think you want to get there. The first meeting would also entail to get insights from the team’s thinking. - Have one on ones with everyone to get more personal info: their own career path, what exactly they are interested in, what do they see should happen to make this team successful, get some insights on their personal situation (in case they are open to share). - …

Sei du selbst! Spiele keinen anderen, schon gar nicht einen “Boss”! Wenn das bei deinen Mitarbeitern nicht ankommt, solltest du auch keine Führungskraft sein.