The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Building Trust

Published: Apr 10, 2019
Modified: Mar 24, 2020

By: Casey Mulqueen

Trust cannot be mandated, but it can be earned.

Casey Mulqueen, director of research and product development for Tracom Group, points to the characteristics of leaders and managers who earn their staff’s trust. As he observes in AMA’s quarterly journal MWorld, leaders and managers can build trust by staying composed, withstanding pressure and regulating reactions to bad times, taking personal responsibility for performance, and maintaining a positive perspective.

Leaders and managers can also build trust by developing and maintaining meaningful and positive relations with others, learning how to motivate others and guide them toward a vision or goal, helping them adapt to new circumstances and changing priorities, and working with staff to generate novel ideas and being open to new information.

About the Author(s)

Casey Mulqueen is director of research and product development for Tracom Group.