Warren Bennis, the preeminent expert on the subject of leadership, believes that trust is the glue that holds organizations together. Others note a similar importance in different words. Specifically, individuals, organizations, and communities engaged in change increasingly see the importance of trust.

Leaders at every level need to develop and sustain trust if they want to accomplish their current and future goals.

Read the complete article to learn how trust has changed and why it is essential in today's relationship age.

Upcoming Workshop: The Integrated Work of the Leader

Enhance your capacity to leverage the synergistic relationship between human assets and organizational culture. Learn tools to help you:

• Read external reality accurately
• Clarify core values
• Enhance your performance
• Develop trust

Date: April 19-20
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Tuition:

• $875
• Two Registrants: $750 each
• Three or more Registrants: $699 each
• Materials and meals included

Registration: Contact us to register or call 317-822-8205

Article: Using Community to Boost Your Business' Performance
By Josh Plaskoff

The idea of learning organizations has dominated business talk for some years now. Through learning, organizations can better adapt to the rapid changes of the modern global economy and leverage their knowledge and expertise towards innovation and process improvement.

To achieve this type of learning, one popular strategy that companies have focused on is building communities of practice (COPs).

Client Quote

"The Leadership Training came at a very pivotal time for our organization. Although we have operated in an efficient mode and accomplished a great deal, in the process we neglected certain critical training for staff and our board.

Katherine Tyler Scott and Linda McCowan provided highly effective training by assessing our situation and tailoring the training to help address our specific needs. Since the November training our board is engaged in their responsibilities and is following through on the next steps outlined...I am excited in a new way concerning our future."

- Vicky L. Dayton, Executive Director
Housing Opportunities, Inc.
Great Bend Kansas

Suggested Readings

• Trust in the Balance: Building Successful Organizations on Results, Integrity, and Concern
  Robert Bruce Shaw, Jossey-Bass, 1997
  

• Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations 
  Margaret Benefiel, Seabury Books, Church Publishing Company, New York, 2005
  

• A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix 
  Edwin H. Friedman; Margaret M. Treadwell, Edward W. Beal, Editors, Seabury Books, 2007

Article: The Three Characteristics of Trust
By Katherine Tyler Scott

Even though there is not agreement on what trust is, there are three characteristics that are deemed to be essential to the development and maintenance of trust; and all three must be present for optimum trust to exist.

Robert Bruce Shaw, the author of The Balance of Trust, describes them as results, integrity, and concern. Sociologists, Roger Mayer, James Davis, and David Schoorman call them ability, benevolence, and integrity. David Lewis and Andrew Weigert's describe them as levels of trust: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. To move toward a more integrated model of trust, the words I want to talk about are competence, character, and compassion.

Read the complete article to learn how you can develop trust in your organization with these three characteristics of trust.

Quotable Quotes

"For leaders, trust is the willingness to be vulnerable and open up to others even when doing so may risk real harm...Trust is relying on others, having confidence in others, and this can be difficult for the best of us, but especially for leaders...you're exposed to the consequences of (others) actions, not just your own."
- James M. Kouzes; Barry Z. Posner, A Leader's Legacy

"Leading requires trust. It's a prerequisite to getting anything done."
- James M. Kouzes; Barry Z. Posner, A Leader's Legacy

Upcoming Open Enrollment Events

Date	Event
April 19-20	The Integrated Work of Leadership
August 9-10	Leading & Managing Change
November 8-9	The Inner Work of the Leader

Workshop Fees

• $875 for each two-day session
• Two Registrants:  $750 each
• Three or more Registrants:  $699 each
• Materials and meals included

Registration: Contact us to register or call 317-822-8205

Recent News

• Katherine Tyler Scott Speaks to Butler University about Trust
  
  
• Ki ThoughtBridge Renews Contract with The Community Progress Initiative of South Wood County to Continue Leadership Training and Coaching

Here's What You Will Find in the Next Issue of eBridge

Stay tuned for the May issue of eBridge where the theme will be "Organizational Breakthrough." We will feature a special article entitled, Breakthrough Change by Clare Coxey. Clare is the Founder of Spirit in Leadership and is a consultant, team and personal coach, and speaker.