Trust For Level 5 Friendship

Over a 30-year period, Gallup’s scientist studied more than 1 million work teams, conducted over 20,000 in-depth interviews with leaders. They also conducted interviews with over 10,000 followers from around the world asking them why they followed the most influential leaders in their life. Followers have a very clear picture of what they want and need from the influential leaders in their lives. Of the over 170,000 words in the English language, the word that was given by followers most often was, Trust!

My first introduction to an operational huddle was with 16 men, half of whom were navy pilots and the other half were navy door gunners. We were one of nine detachments (dets) of Navy Seawolf gunships based in remote areas of South Vietnam supporting Navy SEAL platoons. Each det was assigned two gunships and a gunship crew that consisted of 2 pilots and 2 door gunners. The Seawolf Tactics Manual required that all combat missions be flown as a fire team, two heavily armed gunships. (Mark 6:7 and Luke 10:1) The fire teams were effective and fierce, so much so, that the Seawolves of Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three were the highest decorated navy squadron of the Vietnam War.

Suffice to say, there was a lot of “level 5 friendship” required in that operational dynamic. However, most of it was grown into rather than immediately appearing full blown. I believe this can work well in the huddle concept if some standards are set. There was a lot of mentoring going on---a lot of purposeful trust-building going on---a lot of egos vanishing, vulnerabilities were acknowledged and assisted, and “newbies” were initially welcomed into the band of brothers huddle unconditionally. Trust was the most precious currency to be exchanged, and you quickly adapted as your learned that your life often depended on what I called “bi-directional trust.”

When I first arrived on det, I’d been in country about 2 months and had been flying single ship logistic type flights. This could be analogous to the man who has been attending church or maybe even a Bible study. So, on my first gunship mission I was a copilot requiring a lot of supervision and grace. Immediately, on becoming airborne, I learned to trust my pilot and the two door gunners. Over the weeks I became more of an asset and less of a liability as these 3 men and others invested in me in different ways. After about 10 weeks, I was recommended for an Aircraft Commander Check. I passed the check ride thanks to the investment of my teammates. Humility seemed to be one of the major fruits of brothers learning to trust brothers. Now I would have to earn the trust of my fire team leader, as his wingman, and eventually become a Fire Team Leader myself. Then the quest would be to earn the trust of my fire team as well as the SEALs and other units who called for Seawolf air support. I completed my one-year tour and was told that I had flown 507 missions.

Over time I became aware that elite warriors were not elitist. Rather, they are masters of the fundamentals of their trade. They possess a maturity developed through training and operational experience; seasoned disciples relentlessly pursuing self-improvement; absolutely understand the imperative of unit cohesion; wear stress and uncertainty well; share cherished values and a love of life and love for each other; are absolutely accountable; quickly and decisively covering a team member’s mistake rather than calling attention to it; and they love their mission--their calling---for which they are willing to die for each other. Forty-four of my brothers were killed in action, always supporting their wingman or an ally on the ground…with eyes wide open.

I have come to understand that trust, like love, is not a cerebral exercise, but rather an issue of the heart. The familiar text from Proverbs 3:5 makes this clear, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart.” Because of this fact, trust undergirds and affects the quality of every relationship, every communication, and practically every effort in which we are engaged in life. Accordingly, I learned that trust has great value in the crucible of combat.

Trust must be revered and guarded because it is the “linchpin” holding the team together. This is very applicable in business, sports, academia, church, politics, and most assuredly in marriage and family life. We know from research that “lost trust” is a major factor in the growing divorce rate and the devastating effect on American family life. The loss of trust on any team is devastating and once lost it is very difficult to regain.

Honesty, integrity, and respect all are the fruit of a trust-based culture. Gallup research found that in such a culture, employee engagement ratio is likely to be better than 1 in 2. Conversely, where there are trust issues with company leaders the employee engagement ratio is just 1 in 12. Just think what the impact of this could be in the dynamic of the huddle. Trust also increases speed and efficiency in the workplace. Research shows that the leadership being authentic and governed by transparent motives is a proven way to establish and build trust among employees. The topic of trust is seldom discussed with successful teams. On the contrary, the topic of trust dominated the discussion with struggling teams.

What if trust became a recognized and understood goal in your Level 5 Friendship huddle relationships? As in all things team, leaders must lead by example. In this case they lead by being transparent in their weaknesses and vulnerabilities and pure in their motivations, men without guile. Because of the natural tendency for self-preservation and fear of failure in men, this may require some self-sacrifice as well as personal courage on the part of the leader. Courage, another heart issue, comes from the same root word as coronary. Be strong and of good courage…do not be weak and cowardly (Joshua 1:9 and Deuteronomy 31:7).

It must be noted that transparency is one of the most effective ways to build trust with teammates. Trust-based leadership builds and maintains trust-based teams. When we simply trust the leader and trust each other the mission comes alive. I believe the most practical way for leaders to implement building trust with their teams is to follow King Solomon’s wise counsel. Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure everything out on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, and everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5-6 (The Message)

In thinking back to my 25 years as a navy leader, 12 years as a law enforcement official, and 40 years in various ministry roles, I can think of nothing more transforming and rewarding than trust-based friendships, with God and with men.

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