If the Boss Rides a Harley, He Must Be Human

In this great interview with The New York Times for its latest “Corner Office” column, NIC CEO Harry Herington says riding his Harley to company meetings brought him closer to his employees. How? He says it humanized him, because his employees started to know him in a whole new light. They were genuinely curious about him on a personal level, which changed his entire perspective on leadership. 

Employees just want to know that their leaders are people they can trust, which is a huge part of building CEO credibility. As Herington says in the interview: 

The one thing I tell C.E.O.s when I meet them is, how do you know your employees trust you? Your employees have to trust you. I never ask them, “Do they trust you?” I’ll say,  “How do you know?” Because if you don’t, you won’t be successful.  More times than not, they say, “I don’t know.” It makes them think.