Beyond Ticking Boxes: How TiQi Leaders Embody Trust

Stephen Covey once said, “Contrary to what most people believe, trust is not some soft, illusive quality that you either have or you don’t; rather, trust is a pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create.” While many leaders may see trust-building as a conscious effort, a checklist to be ticked off, for TiQi leaders, it’s an organic outcome of their core principles and values. Their leadership style isn’t about ticking boxes; it’s about being true to a set of deeply ingrained values and (more and more) effortlessly fostering and nurturing trust. It’s like their very essence is trust-infused, and they radiate it without even trying. (Ah, those love amplifiers.) Yes, I am corny, however, understanding the neurophysiological foundation of trust helps in appreciating how TiQi leaders naturally foster a trust-rich environment. According to Polyvagal Theory, our physiological state significantly impacts our ability to connect and trust others. In a state of safety (GREEN), facilitated by the activation of the ventral vagal complex, individuals are more open to social engagement, communication, and connection. On the other hand, a threat state (YELLOW/RED), steered by the sympathetic or dorsal vagal pathways, tends to evoke feelings of distrust and disconnection¹. TiQi leaders are attuned to their physiological states and to that of those around them, seeking to spend a significant amount of time in GREEN together.

In essence, while some leaders might need to consciously work through a checklist (example below), TiQi leaders, with their foundational beliefs and principles, naturally “show up” with these trust-building traits. It’s not about ticking boxes for them; it’s about being true to their core values, which inherently align with building and nurturing trust.

But how do they do it? Perhaps the better question is: How do they BE it? But since my mom is an English teacher, I can’t ask it that way, so let’s go with: How do they embody it? Let’s look at Blanchard’s classic ABCD Model.

Note that when we talk about TiQi Leaders, Higher Mind Leaders, and/or superconscious leaders, we’re referring to those who operate from a heightened state of awareness and intentionality… If you’re game to see it as such: Connection to their Quantum Selves and a larger consciousness field. These leaders are not just reactive; they’re proactive and guided by a deeper understanding of purpose, connection, and love.

“For Higher Mind Leaders, real power comes from cultivating a state of inner tranquility, not from status or control. This sense of calm is developed by connecting to one’s Quantum Self. The Quantum Self represents the core essence of a leader’s being. It is a source of insight, receptivity, and wisdom. By aligning with this Quantum Self, leaders become beacons of stability amidst chaos. Their sense of inner peace permeates the workplace, creating an atmosphere of trust, focus, productivity, and mutual respect.”

As a complement to (and as a helpful path to) exposing Quantum Selves (core essences), we have a dance of “Sizing Up the Suitstuff” — sizing up the biological spacesuits that we all inhabit. As TiQi leaders we align with the core principles of positive psychology, focusing on nurturing strengths, virtues, and positive emotions. The practice of embodying safety and leveraging the neural circuits of trust naturally creates a conducive atmosphere for positive interactions and trust-building. The PFC’s control over social behavior circuits further facilitates a nurturing environment for trust and social engagement⁵. Research in neuroscience explains the critical role of the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) in trust-building. The medial PFC, associated with decision-making and memory consolidation, plays a significant part in our trust-related judgments². Furthermore, individual variations in trust tendencies have been linked to the gray matter volume within the ventromedial PFC³⁴. This neurological understanding explains how TiQi leadership fosters trust: by creating a psychologically safe environment.

Able / Ability: TiQi leaders, with their focus on value co-creation, will emphasize continual learning, personal development, professional development — getting “better and betterer” across 7 of the 8 dimensions of wellness. They are ever-becoming more competent, adaptive, and skilled in diverse situations. They’re more likely to “size up the suitstuff” (eg what’s going on in their own and others’ “biological spacesuit”) and adjust accordingly, especially when it comes to navigating interpersonal dynamics and challenges. Compassionate actions also demonstrate a leader’s ability to not just recognize but address issues, concerns, or challenges their team members might be facing. They are always on a quest to grow as a human. TiQi leaders create an environment that allows team members to excel and achieve a state of high ability by promoting flow states. This reflects their competence and ability to lead effectively.

TiQi leaders embody trust by aligning with their core essence — the Quantum Self — which resonates with love and genuine connection. This alignment triggers positive physiological responses, such as activating the ventral vagal state (GREEN), which in turn, fosters a sense of safety and trust among team members. By being attuned to the physiological and emotional states of themselves and others, TiQi leaders demonstrate an embodied competence and authenticity that naturally nurtures trust and connectedness.

Moreover, by sharing the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, you’ll be teaching your team about Self Energy (a core aspect of IFS) helps everyone connect Self to Self (versus part to part). By sharing what’s going on with their own parts and their own IFS journey, they are already heeding the “show vulnerability” advice that we see being given to leaders. Unfortunate what we sometimes see is calculated vulnerability. What story can I tell to show that I am vulnerable, because my checklist for leadership says I need to show vulnerability?

TiQi Leaders take care when it comes to their own abilities and when it comes to the abilities in those they lead, encouraging team members to embrace challenges that align with their personal journey towards growth and understanding in all aspects of their lives.

Believable / Believability: Integrity is a cornerstone for TiQi leaders. They often approach situations with authenticity and genuine intent. Their decisions, grounded in conscious awareness and love, resonate as sincere, making them more trustworthy in the eyes of others. While empathy allows us to feel what another person is feeling (often mirroring those emotions, including pain), compassion goes a step further. Compassion means we recognize another’s suffering and feel a desire to alleviate it. This distinction is crucial in life and in leadership. See:

Connected / Connectedness: The emphasis on love, compassion, and understanding in TiQi-aligned thinking naturally fosters deep connections with others. Again, we list compassion, as the preference — stress compassion over empathy. Why? While empathy can create a bond, it lights up the pain centers in our brains. Compassion makes and strengthens bonds by adding an actionable layer, and the centers of our brains that “light up” when we experience compassion are different — they do not involve pain. Leaders who act compassionately reinforce the trust that they’re there to support their team, not just understand them. Overall, TiQi leaders are more likely to understand and prioritize the emotions and well-being of those they lead, creating an authentic, felt sense of mutual respect and understanding. It’s tuning into the frequency of love, which naturally brings about connectedness.

If that sounds too lovey dovey to you, know that this is physiological too: Polyvagal theory, proposed by Stephen Porges, PhD, suggests that our nervous system plays the key, behind-the-scenes, role in shaping our social interactions. When we’re in a GREEN or safe state (activated ventral vagal complex) we show up socially engaged, connected, and with all sorts of forms of positivity (curiosity, compassion, kindness, joy, etc) and collaboration (problem-solving, innovation, etc). TiQi leaders create environments where team members feel safe (meaning they are also showing up in GREEN). They also are (and feel) valued, and heard. The GREEN state fosters relational trust. When our biological spacesuits are set to GREEN, people feel safe, they’re more open, communicative, and collaborative, all of which naturally enhance trust. It’s like setting the stage where trust can flourish because everyone feels they’re in a supportive and non-threatening environment. And they feel this way because it is true. And in following the 3-FOLD MISSION, TiQi Leaders are always sharing and magnifying positive energy — often in the form of recognizing the contribution and excellence that we see in others. It’s not a tactic for us. It comes from connection to mission.

Moreover, TiQi leaders demonstrate believability through their genuine embrace of self-transcendent emotions like compassion and gratitude, which are rooted in authenticity. These emotions also deepen their connections with team members.

Additionally TiQi leaders, with their understanding of interconnectedness, foster deep connections with others, emphasizing that we are all part of a something larger… with most believing and/or coming to experience that we are all part of a larger consciousness field.

Interestingly, the holistic focus of TiQi leaders aligns well with the concept of physiological coherence, a state of harmony among the heart, mind, and emotions, which has been extensively researched by the HeartMath Institute. This harmonious state, reflected by a smooth and wave-like heart rhythm pattern, is associated with a high degree of mental clarity, emotional stability, and optimal performance. By fostering an environment that encourages self-awareness, emotional regulation, and stress reduction, TiQi leaders help promote physiological coherence within their teams. This not only nurtures a sense of trust but also enhances the collective ability to collaborate and innovate.

Dependable / Dependability:
TiQi leaders understand the importance of consistency, especially when it comes to creating safe environments for growth, collaboration, and innovation. Their understanding of bottom-up emotions and the interconnectedness of things makes them reliable and consistent in their actions. Their nuanced understanding of the “suitstuff” and connection to something bigger is, at the core, tied to the 1 truth (the FOUNDATION RULE): Love is the 1 truth. The frequency of love is the 1 truth. TiQi leaders epitomize consistency, in their unwavering embodiment of the 1 TRUTH and the 3-FOLD MISSION. Moreover, they craft nurturing environments ripe for growth and collaboration, ensuring a safe environment where their team members can depend on each other and adapt to challenges collectively.

Their 3-FOLD mission further accentuates their dependability:

Amplify Love: Every endeavor echoes with an intent to amplify and magnify love.
Call Back to Love: Anything that has taken on a frequency other than love is called back to love.
Guardian for Love: They are the protectors/stewards of love (thus NOT allowing the frequency of the 1 truth to be alchemized into something other than love.)

Considering the importance of relational trust emphasized by the Polyvagal Theory, it’s evident that the bond between the leader and the team is much deeper than mere transactional interactions. By fostering environments that prioritize feelings of safety, open communication, and connection, TiQi leaders pave the way for stronger, more resilient relational bonds, ensuring that trust is not just built but also sustained and nurtured… and you can depend on it!

In short, for TiQi Leaders, commitment isn’t about ticking boxes; it’s about connecting and harmonizing with their core essence (Quantum Self) and core values that resonate with love and genuine connection. They don’t just build trust; they live it… They exude it via behind-the-scenes physiological cues (polyvagal GREEN) and via connection to their true essence (Quantum Self). TiQi leaders, by triggering positive physiological responses through actions aligned with love and compassion, demonstrate their ability via embodied competence (A), believability via authenticity (B), connectedness via deep connection (C), and unwavering dependability (D) in building trust.

Ticking Those Boxes

Yea, there will always be a part of us that likes to see those checklists…

General Trust-Building Checklist:

People-focused: Fostering deeper relations and trust beyond task-based trust and professional relationships.
Consistency: Regularly delivering on promises.
Transparency: Open communication about decisions and processes.
Empathy: Understanding and valuing team members’ feelings and perspectives.
Integrity: Standing by one’s principles even in challenging situations.
Reliability: Being someone others can depend on.
Feedback + Growth: Giving constructive criticism and also being open to receiving it; Helping others to grow professionally and personally.
Recognition: Recognize contributions of others.
Shared Success: Celebrating wins as a team and giving credit where it’s due.
Purpose: Connection to meaning in the work that they do; understanding their intrinsic motivation drivers.

Now, when it comes to TiQi Leaders, trust-building isn’t necessarily a step-by-step process; it’s more of an inherent trait. Here’s how they naturally align with the checklist:

Consistency: Through their 3-FOLD MISSION, they are consistently operating from a place of love, making their actions and decisions predictable in their positivity.
Transparency: With conscious awareness, these leaders are naturally open and honest, valuing genuine connections and communication. Many of us love ITIL 4, which is big on busting down organizational silos.
Empathy: While empathy is about feeling with others, TiQi leaders prioritize compassion, which takes it a step further, driving them to alleviate any discomfort or challenges their team faces. Compassion is a brain-healthy approach.
Integrity: Their foundational rule (the frequency of love is the 1 truth), ensures they act with utmost integrity, always aligning with love via their 3-FOLD MISSION.
Reliability: As guardians of love, amplifiers of love and caller-backers to love (there has to be a better way to say that, haha), their dedication to upholding and promoting love makes them inherently reliable.
Feedback + Growth: Being grounded in love and conscious awareness, they provide feedback that’s constructive, aiming to uplift rather than put down. As Shaman Durek says, our mouths are like magic wands. Every time we open them, out comes either a blessing or a curse. We align with love. We tend to <3 Marshall Goldsmith’s concept of Feed Forward — What can I do better next time? We are all for the growth of our team, in every possible way.
Recognition: This is part of the amplification we naturally seek to do.
Shared Success: Recognizing the interconnectedness of all, they naturally celebrate collective achievements, ensuring everyone’s contributions are acknowledged.
Purpose: We are connected to purpose and mission and help to uncover (literally uncover, as in “un cloud”) the inner light in those we lead. We are not only interested in the purpose of the individual, but the shared purpose we have as a team.

In essence, while some leaders might need to consciously work through the checklist, TiQi leaders, with their foundational beliefs and principles, naturally “show up” with these trust-building traits. It’s not about ticking boxes for them; it’s about being true to their core values, which inherently align with building and nurturing trust. This gives us loads of time to go love on our dogs.

Til next time… In the words of Ivan Farcus: May you bask in the warmth of those who love you and live in the eternal now.