Right Fit Leading: Shared Understanding is Key to Leadership

I continue to evaluate the results of a survey I conducted with Denise Siegfeldt, my boss at Florida Institute of Technology where I teach online classes. Beyond the evaluation of telework, trustworthiness, and performance, there are leadership lessons to be gained.

For instance, shared understanding that leads to trust is important for leaders to influence members of their team. Without shared understanding, organizations can suffer from trust issues at all levels.

In the March survey, presidents/CEOs (67%), upper managers (80%), and mid-level managers (75%) believed there is daily telework accountability, but the level of belief is different for those who are subordinate to them. Just 55% and 29% of supervisors and employees, respectively, shared that belief. This data requires more analysis, but at the simplest level suggests organizational challenges in terms of shared understanding.

The need for shared understanding is clear. One way to achieve it is to focus on rules-based trust, where leaders and members accept and adhere to a system of rules that establish the standards of appropriate behavior. This type of trust helps everyone commit to the same standards and appropriate behavior throughout the organization.

Does your organization have a solid set of rules that motivate behavior that is conducive to organizational success?