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Marketing and sales professionals know that success hinges on three words: Know, like, and trust. The goal of marketing is, essentially, to establish a trusting relationship. And that leads to sales.

The same holds true in leadership. Leaders who are known, liked, and trusted by their people are much more effective leaders. And trust leads to impact.

Teams who know, like, and trust each other work together well because there is less friction. Where there are differing opinions, this foundation lends itself to healthy debate and exchange of ideas. This leads to high productivity.

In any relationship, personal or professional, trust is bedrock.

How can you establish this foundation of culture?

Know

This is about awareness.

Say you have a product you want to sell. You must first create awareness about your product. If no one is aware it exists, no one will buy it.

Now, take this to the workplace and meet “The Invisible Boss.” This is the boss who comes in, goes directly to their office, and closes their door. The Invisible Boss only comes out when they want something, or it is time to leave. They may have meetings or lunches, but they are always with a select peer group. Outside of this group, the Invisible Boss lives up to their name.

If no one really has a chance to know The Invisible Boss, no one will buy in to his or her ideas or objectives.

Don’t be The Invisible Boss.

Get to know your people and allow them to become better acquainted with you. Be aware of who is on your team, what their strengths are, and what is of interest to them. Take time to stop by and say hello as you pass their desk. Show a genuine interest in the people you lead. You are building a bridge that leads to trust.

Like

This is about connection.

We’ve all met The Incorrigible Boss, the “my way or the highway” kind. This is the boss who leads only by virtue of position. The Incorrigible Boss does not listen to ideas or empower their team. While their team may do the work, usually from fear of reprisal, they will do so resentfully, because, deep down, they do not like The Incorrigible Boss.

Some boast proudly that they do not want to be liked; they want to be respected. The most effective leaders often are both liked and respected.

Don’t be The Incorrigible Boss

You can be respected and liked without being a weak leader. In fact, being respected and liked will help you be a more impactful leader. And here’s the thing: people like you because you care about them. They may disagree with you, but if they know you care, they will also like and respect you. Take time to show you care about your people.

Trust

This is about impact.

And then there is The Incapable Boss. This is the one who does the most damage. The Incapable Boss tries to lead others but cannot lead himself or herself. This boss portrays a set of values they do not truly possess. Their actions are out of alignment. They break promises to their team and show weakness in the face of challenge. They do not communicate effectively. The Incapable Boss expects the team to have his or her back while not having theirs.

Their words and actions are out of alignment with who they really are, and their team knows it.

Without trust, leadership is an empty shell.

Don’t be The Incapable Boss

Hold yourself to the highest standards of integrity and honesty. Know your values and live them daily, with intention. Set the example for your team. Have real, honest, and respectful conversations. If you make a mistake, own it. If you have a responsibility, meet it. This is how you build trust with your team.

For valuable resources on Leadership Strengths and Tools, click here.

Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after executive coach, mentor, consultant, and speaker worldwide. Deb is well versed in business operations and in the importance of asking key questions most business leaders won’t ask themselves. She brings deep experience in leadership development, strategy, high performance team building and effective communication. She has a passion for leading people to discover and maximize their strengths as well as those of fellow team members, while offering advanced strategies to achieve high performance. Deb is the perfect fit if you’re ready to take your leadership and impact to the next level!