From the bottom of my idealistic soul, I believe trust and human connection can replace skepticism and unhealthy conflict. I also believe each of us has the ability to create that ideal, whether we are in a position of leadership or not.

Recognizing that the world doesn’t yet conform to my idealism, I’m also a realist who understands that people and culture can be messy. I love helping leaders and teams identify and confront the dissonance in their culture. This dissonance happens when actions misalign with values, when policies oppose the culture we talk about or when fear drives our behavior. When these things happen, the trust and relationships needed to increase innovation, retention, performance and growth are nowhere to be found.

Through talks, workshops, online courses and implementation programs, I share universal principles that anyone in an organization can practice, no matter their position, role or tenure. I bring an awareness of the simple traits we can all embody to more positively impact the lives of those we lead and influence.

But building trust and human connection isn’t just a better way to lead and create a culture at work. It’s a more meaningful way to live. It provides a more meaningful human experience for us and those around us.

Thanks for coming along and for your support in this work. We need you!

What are the traits of the best leader you’ve ever followed?

David has asked this question to thousands of people all over the world. No matter the country, industry or culture, the answers always come back the same. Among the dozens of traits listed, words like these are common:

• Listener

• Caring

• Humble

• Loyal

• Supportive

• Trustworthy

• Empowering

• Empathetic

There’s a pattern to all these words. They are inherently human. They are words that show a greater interest in the person being led than in the leader themselves. And most, if not all the leadership traits we admire in great leaders can be summed up in Honesty, Humility and Humanity.

When we embody these three traits, we go from forgettable manager to magnetic leader. We handle the daily friction within our business and team differently, we build trust and connection and we create sustainable progress for ourselves and the organizations we lead.