A key part of being a leader is to be trusted by those we lead. many of us think that trust is something which has to be earned, takes time and either happens or not.

Oddly enough I used to think that until I came across an article in Harvard Business Review which outlines the factors on which trust can be built. Of the ten or so listed there are three which are entirely dependant on the individual who needs to develop trust in someone else. The remaining factors are all able to be influenced by the person who wants to be trusted.

These factors include obvious features such as consistency of action, perceived risk, having similar goals and ambitions, as well as some less obvious factors. If someone asks you to trust them you need to know they actually care about you, not in a romantic way but in a benevolent way, considering your interests as pat of their value set.

Our emerging clinical leaders in primary care will need followers who trust them to lead. These leaders need to be able to communicate, be predictable, be capable, care for their colleagues, be transparent in their goals and strategy and build on the common agenda of all clinicians.

There is obviously a significant trust gap within primary care, small practices, GP providers and self aggrandising leaders will all contribute to the trust gap. However that gap is nothing in comparison to the gap in trust between secondary and primary care.