{"id":76963,"date":"2022-08-22T20:52:45","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T00:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=76963"},"modified":"2022-09-04T20:54:10","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T00:54:10","slug":"foundation-of-trust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/foundation-of-trust\/","title":{"rendered":"The Foundation of Trust: How Empathy Sustains Relationships"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the foundation of trust? What sustains relationships over time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Empathy is the central theme of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella\u2019s business philosophy. He defines empathy as the cornerstone of all that he does. Nadella promotes empathy as the foundation of trust, which sustains both personal and professional relationships over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue reading to learn about the connection between empathy and trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Empathy as the Foundation of Trust<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Seeing empathy as the foundation of trust helped Nadella transform Microsoft’s culture. He describes how, when he first took over as CEO, Microsoft\u2019s workplace had grown toxic over many years. Employees were more interested in backstabbing one another or arguing with each other than they were in pulling together as a team to achieve common objectives. <\/strong>To combat this, Nadella promoted team-building exercises and encouraged seeking common ground. He also took the time to get to know his senior team members as individual people, not just as employees, by hosting a meeting in which each person was allowed to open up about themselves on a more personal level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: As some writers have observed, these changes are largely because of Nadella\u2019s personality. His predecessors, the hot-tempered Gates<\/a> and the larger-than-life Ballmer<\/a>, were known for ruthless business tactics<\/a> that turned customers off. In contrast, Nadella is calm and subdued, replacing Microsoft\u2019s winner-take-all approach with openness and curiosity. As a result, he was able to reform Microsoft\u2019s image<\/a> from that of a big, bad corporation to that of the \u201ccool kid.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listening to competitors and partners and empathizing with their points of view created trust, Nadella says. <\/strong>In turn, connecting empathy and trust led to more fruitful business partnerships and harmonious coexistence with rival companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspiring Trust at Work <\/strong>

Nadella\u2019s focus on trust is in line with the view that trust is the foundation for solid leadership<\/a>. Experts conceptualize trust as a triangle made up of three main points:

1) Be compassionate and interested in others. <\/strong>Always be patient when dealing with colleagues in the workplace. Give others your full attention during interactions to show them you\u2019re engaged in what they have to say. People are more likely to trust and respect someone who they believe is sincere in caring about them.

2) Be clear and comprehensible in your ideas. <\/strong>People tend to trust those who are able to present their thoughts and reasoning in an orderly, comprehensible way.

3) Be yourself. <\/strong>Don\u2019t hide behind a \u201cwork persona\u201d at all times, making your real self a mystery to those you work with. Instead, learn how to open up to your colleagues and show a more personal side. It\u2019s easier for others to trust you when they know who you really are<\/a>.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Exercise: Practice More Empathy at Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nadella believes that empathy has shaped his career and his vision for Microsoft and that it\u2019s important to practice it through direct engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n