If you’re invisible, you lose influence.
I once worked for a boss who shut himself away in his large office, behind magnificent double timber doors.
He chose to be mysterious rather than approachable. Hardly a surprise that people tended to see him as a stern, authority figure – someone to be feared.
One day I remember him asking me how he could build better relationships with staff.
At first, I thought it was a trick question – but no, he was serious! I stated what I thought was the bleedin’ obvious; he needed to come out from behind those closed doors.
He waved my advice away.
“Oh no,” he said. “I tried an open-door policy once and it was a disaster. Everyone wanted to talk to me!”
Who’d have thunk it?
The culture in that organisation was simply awful. Great people didn’t stay long.
Watch: Why Silence is Costing You Credibility
In this video, I give you three insights to ensure you’re not fuelling mistrust and suspicion because of a communication void. https://youtu.be/H7xOZvvJTVk
You can’t build trust from behind a closed door - physical or virtual.
When leaders stay out of sight, communicating through carefully sanitised updates, people won’t assume you’re “just busy”.
They’ll think you’re disconnected or avoiding something.
Silence creates suspicion. Distance leads to doubt.
Don’t avoid communication or outsource it to others. Your teams – and external audiences – need to see you and hear from you, especially about tough decisions or in pressure situations.
Building trust and positive influence is an everyday quest, requiring ongoing visibility.
