With the trust of your employees and colleagues, you can accomplish amazing things. Trust generates commitment. It generates energy. It encourages people to think for themselves, speak up with confidence, and assume greater responsibility. It eliminates the stress and waste associated with self-protective behaviors. When others trust you and believe you have their best interests at heart, they can be a better version of themselves. Everyone wins.

So how does a leader build trust? Here are eight steps that will help you become a trusted leader able to accomplish amazing things.

1. Be Reliable

Say what you mean. Do what you say you will do. Integrity and reliability are the cornerstone of building trust.

2. Admit Your Mistakes

We all make mistakes. Don’t pretend you don’t. Leaders who ‘fess up are easier to trust than people who deny they were wrong, dig in their heals, worry about saving face, or charge ahead – doing what they said they would do – after realizing they made an unfortunate promise. Following through to look reliable once you realize you’ve made a mistake just makes you look stupid. Right the wrong by admitting your mistake and apologizing for any confusion, discomfort, or pain that you have caused.

3. Be Respectful – Truly Respectful

Your actions must demonstrate respect for others at every level of the organization. Every employee plays a part in the organization’s success. (If not, someone isn’t doing his or her job!) Honor all the pieces of the puzzle that is your organization and recognize that there are things you can learn for every one of them. Respect their expertise by tapping it when making decisions. Respect their role in implementation by asking them about risks. Honor them and they will be more likely to trust you. Treat them as if they don’t matter and don’t expect their trust. Or cooperation. Or commitment.

4. Be Clear, Transparent, and Intentional

When people know what you are trying to achieve, why, and how you plan to go about it, they are likely to trust you and the process, both of which increase their acceptance of the outcomes. Surprise them with changes, guard your objectives, or be wishy washy about your intentions and next steps and what will you get? Suspicion. Fear. Anger. Everything except trust!

5. Move the Needle

Nothing generates trust quite like success. Make things happen and you will become trusted to make things happen.

6. Respect Confidences and Give Credit Where Credit is Due

Confidentiality and credit go hand-in-hand with respect, but they are so important, I thought them worth mentioning specifically. Betray a confidence and kiss trust goodbye. Take credit for someone else’s work and ditto. It is amazing how many bosses don’t get this.

7. Keep Calm

Who would you trust? The person who is calmly thinking, soliciting input, and making positive suggestions or the person who is seething, panicking, or accusing? If you want to be trusted, be that calm, thoughtful, positive person looking for good ideas and next steps.

8. Make the Tough Decisions But …

Be sure your actions demonstrate a determination to do what is best for the organization. If you want to know what this doesn’t look like, just take a look at our government right now. It is loaded with bad examples! And notice how that behavior – putting self over country – has eroded trust!

How will you know if you are building trust? People will come to you with bad news and good. They will seek your advice and reveal their fears. They won’t second guess you. They will give you greater responsibility. They will support your decisions even when you make bad decisions because they trust your process and know you have the organization’s best interests at heart. They won’t go around you and complain to others, but will approach you directly with their concerns. There are lots of possibilities. All of them good for you and your organization!