Cory Lebovitz

Do you remember the experience of learning to drive? It is great to be entrusted with the responsibility – to sit behind the wheel and take the car somewhere. In fact when you first start driving you do not even care about the destination, you are just excited to be able to go somewhere in the car on your own. Being entrusted with the responsibility of driving is a marking moment in life.

When you learn to drive you discover that there is great responsibility placed in your hands. As the driver you have to be aware of things around you – more aware than any passengers who might be in your car. If you have experience driving you likely have experiences with one frustrating element of driving: backseat drivers.

You know what a backseat driver is right? It is the person who is not in the driver seat but has feedback and opinions about how the driver is doing. They think they can see more or do better than the driver. Let’s be honest for a minute – no one like a backseat driver in the car.

Whatever team you serve on; there is the danger of being a backseat driver to those who lead. The leader on the team has been entrusted with responsibility and authority, and that changes their perspective. Leaders see things that others do not see. They have to see farther to know what is coming next and create opportunities for the team to step into their next.

What I have noticed in myself and in those around me is that trust for leaders is a choice. Unfortunately it does not come naturally – many of us default towards distrust and wait to be proven right or wrong.

For any team member there is a simple choice to make: trust the leader or sabotage the team. (click to tweet)

If you want to experience success then you must travel the road of trust. I am not saying that is easy or that the leader is flawless.

There is no success for a team without trust in the leader. (click to tweet) It is the God given pattern for teams and for leadership. You will not always be able to see what the leader sees, but you must trust that the leader sees beyond what you can see.

Trusting your leader is a choice. That choice is similar to getting into a car driven by someone else. On the road if you suddenly decide you no longer trust the leader and try taking the wheel it could be deadly. You have chosen to follow the leader and get into the car, now you must chose to trust them.

If you wonder whether your leader can be trusted ask yourself whether they have changed or if something has changed in you. (click to tweet)

Chose to trust your leader, and invest in the success for your team.