The reason why trust between leaders is relevant.

-"Always remember, this is your Team #1" - I heard this line from an external consultant some years ago at a leadership meeting.

The message he was trying to convey is that as leaders in an organization, we owe it to ourselves as part of the leadership team to prioritize our work together above anything else.

Simple, right?...well... not really.

It was a little more difficult to process than it sounded at the time. Even when I believed I had a good working relationship with the other members of the leadership team, I always tought of my direct reports as MY team #1. In my mind, at the end of the day, those are the guys I led and the guys that went to battle with me and for me, as I did for them.

The most interesting part? I could sense that the rest of the leadership team felt pretty much the same way I did. So I don't think the message really made it home at the time.

Now having a few more years under my belt, the message finally clicked. While consulting for a leadership team recently, I was able to see much more clearly why trust among leaders is relevant, as I also witnessed the impact of the absence of such trust.

Oh! by the way, I just don't mean having an amicable relationship, but really trusting your peers and also being trustworthy in their eyes.

When that trust is not there difficult conversations never happen. Feedback is not welcomed. Silos are not broken. Information is triple checked. Reworks are common. Goals are not met.

Real trust between leaders sends a message of cohesion to the rest of the organization, it reinforces leadership figures, it reduces anxiety at all levels of the organization and it promotes collaboration between different functional groups. It creates communication channels that allow challenging others and also being challenged without aggravation or hurt feelings.

And how do you build that trust? In my experience, creating a positive relationship with my peers is step number one. Checking in with people, being open to feedback, looking for ways to be supportive and helping my peers suceed. Also, being consistent is really important. Not just doing this once or twice a year during an off-site, but really making the time to continually build and nurture that trust.

So...yes..if you are a leader the other company leaders are your Team #1.