The Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Justice League. Superpowers abound – so cool, so fun, so unbelievable. Fantasy. Real people don’t have superpowers. Superpowers are beyond our grasp. Or are they?

I’d argue that at least one Superpower – and maybe the most powerful of all – is available to all of us. The Superpower of Trust.

I know what you’re thinking: Trust? How is THAT a Superpower? It doesn’t let you fly, or knock down walls, or put villains in their place. Or does it?

Trust – the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. Or, as Stephen M. R. Covey wrote The One Thing That Changes Everything. With it, a leader can help an organization soar higher than it ever has; it can destroy barriers that limit possibilities; it can create the energy necessary to overcome challenges and obstacles. Pretty nifty, I think.

Leaders who trust one another band together without worrying about who gets the credit as long as the mission is achieved. They create aligned systems and structure – the climate and culture – of an organization that is trustworthy. Workers can rely on what they’re told and have line-of-sight between their work and the purpose of the organization. When leaders trust their workforce the creative power and potential of the organization multiplies many times over, creating a positive reinforcing loop of possibility and growth. Customers of trustworthy organizations put their confidence in its programs, products, and services: they prefer that organization to its competitors and talk about it with their neighbors and friends, driving market share. Trust morphs into support from other stakeholders and constituents.

So, if Trust is so darn wonderful, why isn’t there more of it? Because it is hard. It takes work.

Trust is earned. It requires consistency between words and actions – over time. Respect, empathy, authenticity, integrity are all characteristics of an organization – or an individual – that is trustworthy. These are easy words to say – but much harder to live. Delivering on them requires commitment to a set of values as foundation for decisions and behaviors demonstrated in the actions that implement them.

Individuals, and leaders, who own this commitment recognize the good, the bad and the ugly implications of the choices they make. They openly and honestly communicate why the choice was necessary, even if unpopular, treating their workforce, customers and stakeholders with respect and empathy. Today, as more businesses and organizations open up as the pandemic winds down, these choices are on full display. A hot topic is how to acknowledge what has changed and what has stayed the same. A trustworthy organization will make the difficult choices more easily because the basis for decisions is more clear and more practiced. They ask for and listen to feedback, especially when it may be negative, to gain a better understanding of others’ concerns. Those concerns are incorporated in how they implement the choices made. By modeling these behaviors in everyday work, they demonstrate the trust they have in their workforce and customers to respond in kind.

No one, and no organization is perfect: each sits somewhere on a trust-scale continuum. Consider where you are on that continuum, whether a shift towards more trust would benefit you, your team, your organization and even your family.

If you want to read more, my colleagues and I at the Care Collaboratory were honored to have our article, Positive Change – a New Paradigm published in the Baldrige Foundation inaugural issue of The Chronicle of Leadership & Management. Access the Chronicle here.

A Superpower for Everyone