9 Traits of Trustworthy Leaders

Even at a young age, Carol knew she was destined to affect change in healthcare. Her parents and teachers noticed a spark in her ability to tackle challenges in math and science–subjects that were not traditionally pursued by women. Now, she not only oversees Quality and Compliance for a major healthcare company’s Consumer business, but she also is the Global Chair of Johnson & Johnson’s Women’s Leadership Initiative. As a mother to two daughters, she is invested in supporting women worldwide to achieve their full potential. According to Carol, good leaders…

Are authentic
The pressures of being in charge can sometimes make it hard to be yourself. “People see right through if you try to show up at work differently than who you really are.” If you are transparent as a leader, your employees will be encouraged to be genuine as well.

Maintain their integrity
You shouldn’t have to change to be successful. Make sure your decisions are aligned with your values and are consistent with the purpose of the company as well.

Keep calm in times of stress
Even when things aren’t running smoothly, “as leaders, part of our job is to be that calming voice over a group and put things in perspective.”

Give immediate feedback
Carol is most thankful for those bosses that provided timely feedback. Feedback is most beneficial when it’s “pertinent and real” and “you can tie it back to a specific moment.”

Make employees feel valued
“I will stop what I am doing and give my team the attention they need, and if I can’t do it at that moment I will absolutely explain why.”

Break down challenges into manageable actions
Oftentimes, we can become overwhelmed by a task that seems all-consuming. Trustworthy leaders keep the big picture in mind to help their employees scale stress down to a manageable level.

Push employees to meet high expectations
Even if employees doubt themselves, “when they feel that someone believes in them, it lights a little fire that unleashes some of the greatness that people have.”

Know that they don’t have all the answers
Carol faced the biggest challenge of her life when her second daughter was born severely ill. She learned the value of trusting a diverse team of experts. “I realized that no matter how hard I worked or how smart I was, I wasn’t in control of that situation.”

Have a stress-reliever
It is important to have an outlet to relieve stress when you have a lot on your plate. Carol loves sports and supporting her Penn State Nittany Lions is a great way to have fun, scream at the top of your voice and relieve stress.