Strategy Insight

From time to time, the world sends us reminders about a value or function that we need to master or at least address better. Lately, I’ve noticed a single word keeps surfacing – trust.

Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, says that trust is the foundation of teamwork. Without trust and vulnerability, one cannot have a candid conversation. And without a candid conversation there can be no conflict, which would lead to understanding each other’s perspectives and ultimately creating commitment, accountability and results.

Healthy organizations have a culture of trust. There, trust means the ability to also believe that one can count on one another and that we each share a common purpose.

Isn’t the whole healthcare debate in Washington really about a lack of trust in the numbers, positions and beliefs of our leaders?

And a fundamental reason regional peace talks fail between countries is often because neither party trusts the other.

If we wish to rebuild our country, industries, school systems, and families, perhaps it is time to revisit this fundamental underpinning.

This entry was posted on October 14, 2009 at 5:06 am and is filed under Leadership, Strategy. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.

Tags: accountability, Barack Obama, commitment, conflict, Five Dysfunctions of a Team. healthcare, Leadership, Management, Patrick Lencioni, results, Strategy, trust