The idea of being in control indicates an illusion when it relates to a situation.

And yet it is an important concept for leaders as the expectation they are met with, is that they do control the situation. It’s the hope of followers to have someone to trust. It’s there to develop a sense of security and predictability for the future.

How much of that illusion should they accept? How reliable is the trust others have in them?

What do they need to do to gain more trust? Can they do it through more transparency or more story-telling?

There is no clear cut answer to this. It all depends on the situation the leaders are in.

But there is one point that is always valid.

They need to be aware of the illusion they are allowing to exist. They need to see how much they rely on the trust and attention others give them.

One way to approach this is by identifying the agency they have in the situation they are in.

It leads to being in control of oneself.

It creates trust.