Building Trust Through Traditional Values in Leadership

In the West, trust often begins with capability: “Show me what you can do, and I’ll believe in you.” But in Japan, it starts with character: “Let me understand who you are, then I’ll trust what you do.” At monoya, we’ve felt this difference deeply. When we first started engaging with Japanese partners, we expected our portfolio and success stories to do the talking. They didn’t. Meetings were polite but reserved. Decisions moved slowly. Then we shifted gears—less pitching, more listening. We invested in relationships. We showed up consistently. We respected silence and patience. Over time, trust started to build—not because we talked about our work, but because we shared our values. One moment that stands out: a partner told us, “What mattered wasn’t your proposal—it was how you carried yourself.” That stuck with us. In Japan, trust isn’t built in the boardroom—it’s built in the in-between moments: over dinner, during shared silences, through consistent follow-ups. It’s relational, not transactional. For global teams entering Japan, remember: trust here is earned slowly, but it’s rock-solid once it’s there. Have you experienced this cultural shift in trust-building? I’d love to hear your thoughts. #Trust #JapanBusiness #CulturalInsights #monoya #CrossCulturalLeadership

Cultivating Trust and Transparency - a CFO's perspective In the realm of #leadership, the debate around #trust has never been more relevant. I am seeing a number of posts and articles around this subject, including the problem of when trust is lost! Having steered #finance and #BusinessTransformations throughout my career, as a seasoned #CFO I can attest to the profound impact trust and #transparency wield in shaping a thriving business #culture. Beyond being a moral compass, these values are strategic imperatives for sustained success. Allow me to share my roadmap, as a CFO, refined through experience, to elevate your business culture: 1️⃣ Lead Authentically: As leaders, we wield unparalleled influence on the business's psyche. It's important to demonstrate unwavering integrity, openness, and reliability in your actions. When your team witnesses these values in action, they are more likely to embrace them in their own work. 2️⃣ Foster Open Communication: Establishing crystal-clear channels for dialogue, dismantles barriers and fosters collaboration across all levels. Ensure information flows freely, thus breaking down silos that can impede transparency. Regular town hall meetings, team huddles, and open forums can facilitate honest conversations. 3️⃣ Define Clear Core Values: Articulate the company's core values, ensuring alignment with principles of trust and transparency. Reinforce these values through training programs, recognition, and integration into day-to-day operations. 4️⃣ Embrace a Feedback Culture: Cultivate an environment where constructive feedback is not only accepted but valued. Mistakes are inevitable; it's how we learn and grow from them that defines our success. 5️⃣ Cultivate Collaborative Environments: Foster a collaborative atmosphere where cross-functional teams work together towards common goals. This not only nurtures a sense of community but also breaks down barriers that hinder the free flow of information. 6️⃣ Celebrate Successes, Big or Small: Acknowledge and celebrate achievements to reinforce positive behaviour and foster a culture of appreciation. Every success, regardless of size, contributes to the journey. ......and because of my background in finance..... 7️⃣ Promote Financial Transparency: Cultivate a culture of financial openness by providing clear and comprehensible financial reports. This not only enhances transparency but also empowers employees to understand the financial health of the organisation, fostering a sense of ownership. Remember, building and fortifying a culture is an ongoing process that demands commitment from everyone within the organisation. By prioritising trust and transparency, we not only enhance the workplace but also set the stage for sustainable growth and resilience. Your thoughts and experiences are invaluable - share them in the comments below. 👇 #Leadership #CultureTransformation #TrustAndTransparency #BusinessSuccess #CFOInsights 

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞? I just spoke with an executive coaching client, a senior person in operations. He was fuelled with frustration because his leader was "messing things up". Fortunately, I have a stockpile of tools to help him create alignment. That reflection led me here to today's post. No leader means to undermine trust. It's not like a goal they set every morning. "Yessss... let's kill culture". Yet it happens. They are perpetrators or accomplices. Until they realize why they accidentally damage culture through: 🚫 Lack of compassion. 🚫 Incompetence or inconsistency in decision making. 🚫 Inability to manage conversations. 🚫 Hidden agendas. 🚫 Distance and not knowing what their team needs. 🚫 Favoritism. 🚫 Not having good logic when explaining decisions. Here's what works (Neville and Martins, 2002): ✅ Benevolence. - show genuine concern for the well-being of your team. - let employees feel their leaders care about them - this is the strongest predictor of trust in landmark studies. - Do your leaders even believe in benevolence as a key principle? ✅ Competency. - about being good at what you do. - are you knowledgeable and skilled to inspire confidence? - Leaders need to be learners and establish thought leadership. ✅ Integrity. - deciding, communicating and acting with moral and ethical principles. - share the thinking process behind integrity-based decisions - Leaders need to resonate and align with organizational values ✅ Consistency. - Trust is built over time through positive experiences. - are you building a track record of good interactions? - what are you prepared to do when it doesn't? ✅ Personality Characteristics Three key traits for trust to blossom: - Agreeableness: often tied to being approachable - Conscientiousness: tied to detail orientation, consistent work ethic and credible decisions - Emotional Stability: well... not flying off the handle works, but also eliminating microaggressions ✅ Openness - Sharing information - Knowing what information to share (not everything is helpful) - Being transparent as to why (links to Integrity) - this is the least important factor. 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒂 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏?

 Leadership isn’t just about what you say—it’s about how you show up. In today’s chaotic, high-pressure world, it’s easy to talk about values. But living them? That’s the real challenge. As an aspiring and intentional leader, I’ve discovered that values must become verbs. Here's what I strive to embody every day: 🔹 Dare to Be Vulnerable – True strength lies in openness. Vulnerability creates trust, not weakness. 🔹 Live Your Values – Values are not slogans. They’re seen in your decisions, especially when it’s hard. 🔹 Build Trust – Listen deeply. Respect always. Trust follows consistency and empathy. 🔹 Be Resilient – Setbacks aren’t failures—they’re feedback. Real leaders bounce forward, not just back. 🔹 Lead with Introspection – Ask: Am I who I say I am? Let integrity guide every action. 🔹 Be the Culture – Culture isn’t built—it’s lived. Lead like you’d want your team to lead. 👉 Leadership is influence. Not performance. 👉 Values are foundations. Not decorations. 👉 Authenticity isn’t optional. It’s essential. #Leadership #Authenticity #Resilience #Trust #Values #SelfLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #LeadWithIntegrity #GrowthMindset #EmotionalIntelligence

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 In a Leadership Academy session I held for one of my clients yesterday, I covered the topic of leadership from the aspect of trust. Leadership and trust are connected. But before I go any further, I must emphasize my definition of leadership: "𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 (𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬) 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞." I like this definition because it means anyone in the organization can be a leader and develop leadership attributes. Remember, leadership is not a skill. It is a way of being, a way of acting. And one of the ways of being a leader, at its core, is being trustworthy. In the Leadership Academy session, we discussed how trust is given and received. Let’s go through some of the points we covered in yesterday’s session on leadership and trust: I showed a video clip of Charles Green, the author of the book 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳, who explained how trustworthiness is a formula of Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy divided by “Self-Orientation.” The more we establish our credibility, reliability, and intimacy (I prefer the word “authenticity” over intimacy) and subjugate our self-orientation (pride, selfishness, looking good, etc.), the more we connect with others by becoming trustworthy. Being trustworthy is essential to helping people realize they can do things that they would not normally do at a level the people didn’t even know they could do. If you want to become trustworthy, here are five elements you must cultivate within yourself: 1. RELIABILITY Leaders and followers don’t like surprises. People want to be around others who are steadfast and committed. People know where they are going and where the leader is taking the team. 2. CONGRUITY People want others to walk their talk. Leaders do what they say. There are no gaps between their voice and their actions. 3. DEPENDABILITY Leaders are there for their people. Leaders support them emotionally through empathy and courage. Leaders provide others with the tools to climb mountains and reach their goals. 4. INTEGRITY People want others to tell the truth and be truthful. Leaders are not afraid to make commitments and promises. And they follow through. 5. OPTIMISTIC Leaders see a better future for all and communicate this with passion and energy. Communicate through the lens of trust using these five elements to become trustworthy and connect with your team. Your partner in success, Joe Murphy ♻️ Cool to repost 📽 Leadership and success videos are posted M-F at 5 PM ET 🔔 No theories. I made the mistakes, so you don't have to #CEOs #COOs #CFOs #CHROs Image: From Charles Green