A trusted advisor can be an invaluable multiplier of your decision making process. A trusted advisor can keep you focused on your sense of purpose and unlock additional potential in you; help you to identify and focus on a vision when you don’t have one, and give you courage to pursue it when you do; simplify a complicated scenario; and make you “walk the line” when you are about to make a bad decision, particularly when your character could be questioned.
So, what are the seven signs you have a trusted advisor?
- Attitude: You know you have a trusted advisor when they are steady, firm, not self-absorbed, and “forward leaning” in their approach to issues.
- Affable: You know you have a trusted advisor when they are approachable and comfortable talking with anyone, from the CEO to the mailroom clerk.
- Available: You know you have a trusted advisor when they are never too busy to help you deal with an important issue.
- Attentive: You know you have a trusted advisor when they are perceptive, receptive, and listen carefully and then opine.
- Adaptable: You know you have a trusted advisor when they are flexible, resilient, and comfortable in dynamic situations.
- Accountable: You know you have a trusted advisor when they are uncompromising in their integrity, discrete, and always “speak truth to power.”
- Authentic: You know you have a trusted advisor when they routinely do their homework to back up their advice and show presence — that is, demonstrate a confident (not arrogant) “air” in the way they carry themselves.
Whether you rely on your trusted advisor on a routine basis or just when you are faced with challenging, multi-faceted issues, a trusted advisor can help you develop a more balanced view.
Rear Admiral Steve Branham, USCG (retired) is a founding partner of 3ethos with founder and CEO Don Trone and co-founder Mary Lou Wattman. He is a former CFO of the U. S. Coast Guard and Commander of the 7th Coast Guard District. Don and Mary Lou are the co-authors of the recently released book, LeaderMetrics®: What Key Decision-makers Need to Know When Serving in a Critical Leadership Role.
