The Hidden Battle That Affects Every Leader

Christian leaders know well the story of the Fall of Adam and Eve (see Genesis 3). The story is so familiar to us that we think it is impossible to gain any additional meaning.

It is much more than the description of man’s first sin. It is much deeper than a battle over a piece of fruit. And the application to Christian leadership goes way beyond the call to integrity. The story of the Fall reveals the most significant principle to understand about the nature of authentic leadership – Trust is the one thing that changes everything.

The story of Adam and Eve's Fall reveals the most significant principle about the nature of authentic leadership. That trust is the one thing that changes everything. Click To Tweet

If you read my blog, you know how often I write and speak about trust as the foundation of leadership. This post explains why.

Consider the following from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (no. 397): “Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God’s command. This is what man’s first sin consisted of. All subsequent sins would be disobedience toward God and a lack of trust in his goodness.”

In the Genesis story, the serpent tempted Adam and Eve to disobedience by first convincing them that God was holding something back. He knew Adam and Eve trusted God wholeheartedly, so the serpent had to provide a motive for why God would keep something good for himself. So, the serpent whispers, “You will not die. God knows that on the day you eat of the fruit your eyes will be opened and you will be like him.”

This was the message that caused Adam and Eve to allow trust in their creator to die in their heart. Once they were convinced that God wasn’t as good as they thought He was, turning their back on Him and going against His command was much easier.

Original sin and all subsequent sin is a lack of trust in the goodness of God.

If the serpent can convince our first parents that God the Father, who is perfect love, is holding something back, how much easier for others to believe that we are holding back? That we are self-interested? That we are more concerned about advancing our own careers and personal agendas than we are caring for the people entrusted to our leadership?

If the serpent convinced our first parents that God, who is perfect love, is holding something back, how much easier for others to be convinced that we are holding back? Click To Tweet

This is why building trust is the first and most important responsibility for every leader. If we don’t proactively and consistently build trust with others, our goodness will come under attack. Not only because the enemy wants to decrease our influence in the world, but because we are not as loving and holy and good as God the Father. We provide evidence every day that we are holding back, that we are self-interested.

Trust must be earned and cultivated every day. If we don’t build trust intentionally, others will begin to doubt that our actions are coming from a place of goodness, pure intention and altruism. This is the hidden battle that affects every leader. People drift toward suspicion of leaders, they don’t drift toward deeper trust.

When suspicion comes against a leader, it’s really difficult to move anything forward. Sure, culture eats strategy for breakfast but suspicion trumps everything. People don’t care about your vision, strategy or objectives until they know they can trust you with their hearts.

People drift toward suspicion of leaders, they don't drift toward deeper trust. This is the hidden battle that affects every leader. Click To Tweet People don't care about your vision, strategy or objectives until they know they can trust you with their hearts. Click To Tweet

I believe wholeheartedly in what John Eldredge has taught for years, “Things are not as they appear. We live in a world at war.  The enemy sees what you can be as a leader and fears it.” He is hell-bent on destroying your influence by damaging trust in your relationships. That is why trust is so key to focus on as a leader.

Building trust doesn’t have to be complicated. But you need to commit to cultivating trust every day if it’s going to take root in the hearts of your people. Here are 20 ways you can build trust.

1. Pray for and with your people often.
2. Ask for forgiveness when you mess up or hurt someone.
3. Forgive others whether they ask for it or not.
4. Make and keep promises and commitments.
5. Say please and thank you.
6. Say what you mean and mean what you say.
7. Don’t talk about people that are not present in the room, talk with them when as soon as you get the chance.
8. Be the same person no matter where you are or who you are with.
9. Be clear and kind, tender and fierce, always.
10. Pay attention to your helloes and goodbyes.
11. When you ask someone, “How are you doing?”, mean it and wait for them to respond.
12. Ask good questions from a place of sincere curiosity.
13. Check-in on your people in the area of family, health and hobbies.
14. Get more sleep to avoid being moody.
15. Exercise every day because it helps you sleep better and eat better which helps you lead better.
16. Widen the gap between stimulus (what happens to you) and how you respond to it by prayerfully surrendering to the Peace of Jesus.
17. Seek first to understand then to be understood.
18. Use encouraging words, most of us live without them.
19. Remove obstacles for your people so they can thrive.
20. Remember, trust can take years to develops and seconds to destroy, get enough sleep so you don’t regret reacting rudely.