Hope, i have read your bio, several times in fact, since you emerged onto the site, so in that, i have at least a very very tiny grain of knowledge as to your background...

what it comes down to in many ways is earning trust and respect, and yes, you're correct, it will take time, as you say. but in the interim, you've a lot of work, and thinking, to do in regards to becoming a leader and not just a manager of things... i've a feeling, at least at this juncture, you've a steep hill to climb, unless you're really great at solving puzzles, and in particular to this case, the puzzle of the people you are serving... i do understand that you've two separate task masters to attend to - the one that signs your paycheck, and the other, and maybe more lethal one that is us, the dregs of the remaining community, and you seriously need to figure a way that balances all of it in a way that isn't just good for YOU... we can, and sometimes do, eat our young here at this site... just sayin'...

a degree in pyschology, as opposed to journalism, would've served you well here, i think ;)