“Great teams have trust at the heart of their success. If you don’t trust each other, you’ll play safe. Trust makes it possible to aim higher. To leap further and to know someone has your back if you fall.”  – Adam Grant, author of Hidden Potential.

Many companies and leaders we collaborate with seek to improve business performance and employee engagement. Evaluating the trust levels within teams and an organisation is often crucial for understanding how we can best support their goals.

In one of his viral videos, speaker and leadership expert Simon Sinek shares an anecdote about the Navy SEALs. The SEALs and their famously demanding selection process highlight the importance of trust over pure performance, he explains. When the SEALs select team members, they evaluate candidates using a “Trust vs. Performance” matrix, preferring those who may not be the most impressive performers but are highly trustworthy over top performers who are difficult to trust. Sinek says the reason is that the SEALs prioritise individuals they can count on in high-pressure, life-threatening situations. They value teammates who will support and protect one another more than those who may excel but lack dependability in a crisis.

In business, trust is essential for a team’s success. Even though the stakes may not be as high as those in Navy SEALS recruitment, trust and reliability are key factors that often surpass the importance of technical skills alone. Research by neuroeconomist Paul J. Zak indicates that employees in companies with high levels of trust experience 74% less stress, greater energy at work, increased productivity, fewer sick days, more engagement, reduced burnout, and higher overall life satisfaction. When trust is lacking, collaboration suffers, innovation halts, and the work environment declines.

Why Trust Matters in the Workplace

Trust serves as the foundation for effective teams. When team members trust one another and their leaders, they experience ‘psychological safety’. Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson explains that in a psychologically safe environment, employees are more likely to share ideas, acknowledge mistakes, and learn from each other. Conversely, a lack of trust can create a culture of secrecy, where employees withhold ideas, avoid accountability, and play it safe. This undermines growth, limits creativity, and can lead to a negative workplace culture and environment.

So, how can you build and sustain trust?

It requires ongoing effort and deliberate, consistent practices:

Set Clear Expectations and Goals

Define each member’s roles and responsibilities clearly to avoid misunderstandings and ensure accountability. When everyone understands their role and those of their teammates, it fosters a sense of fairness and transparency and will help teams see the collective value of each role, building respect and reliance on one another.

Encourage Open Communication

Establish regular, transparent communication through team meetings, one-on-ones, and feedback sessions. For instance, implementing weekly check-ins allows team members to share their challenges and accomplishments, fostering a culture of openness. Leaders should model this approach by sharing their own experiences and acknowledging their challenges as well.

Invite Constructive Criticism and Collaboration

Respectful, honest debates about ideas can foster an environment where team members feel comfortable disagreeing without fear of personal attack. Leaders should also practice active listening, validating each person’s perspective and building trust by showing respect for diverse viewpoints.

Deliver on Promises

Trust begins with consistent, reliable actions. Leaders should commit to following through on promises, no matter how small. When people know they can rely on each other, it reinforces a foundation of dependability, which is critical to building trust.

“Trust equals consistency over time. There’s no shortcut for either.” – Jeff Weiner, Executive Chairman, LinkedIn.

Promote a Culture of Recognition and Appreciation

Recognising people for their contributions is a powerful way to foster trust and engagement. Whether it is through public acknowledgement, performance bonuses, or team celebrations, showing appreciation reinforces that each person’s work is valued.

Peer recognition is also highly effective; encouraging team members to recognise each other builds camaraderie and mutual respect, deepening trust over time.

Support Continuous Learning and Growth

Providing opportunities for learning and development demonstrates a commitment to each team member’s success, which further strengthens trust. Offering courses, skill-building workshops or mentoring helps employees feel supported, invested in, and trusted to grow within the team.

“Building trust begins with an appreciation and understanding of trust, but it also requires practice and practices.” – Robert C. Solomon, philosopher

But what about repairing trust when it has already been broken?

Unfortunately, even in the best teams, trust can be broken due to misunderstandings, unmet expectations, or mistakes. The good news is that it can be rebuilt, but it requires a proactive, honest, genuine approach that, once again, must be consistent in its delivery.

The first step in repairing trust is acknowledgement. Whether the breach was intentional or unintentional, leaders should address the issue directly. A sincere apology, when warranted, can go a long way in rebuilding things. Similarly, specific apologies—where the offending party takes clear responsibility, and commits to corrective action—are most effective in restoring trust.

Rebuild Through Consistent Actions

Actions must follow. Leaders should communicate transparently about the steps they’re taking to prevent similar issues from happening in the future. Consistency over time is crucial to restoring confidence.

Similarly, team members can rebuild trust with peers by consistently meeting commitments, being honest about progress, and owning their responsibilities.

Create an Environment for Honest Feedback and Growth

When trust has been broken, honest feedback helps clear up misunderstandings and allows everyone to express their needs. These conversations should happen in a safe space for these conversations, such as feedback sessions or mediation if needed.

Remember a growth mindset.

Encouraging a growth mindset—seeing mistakes as learning opportunities—enables teams to address trust breaches constructively. Instead of focusing on blame, team members examine setbacks to improve processes and accountability.

When trust is present, teams thrive. Communication flows easily, and members feel empowered to take risks, which strengthens resilience. It enables teams to respond effectively, adapt to change, solve complex problems, and work toward shared goals.

For leaders, prioritising trust-building is one of the most impactful ways to create a culture of success. By consistently building, fostering, and, when necessary, repairing trust, organisations can improve team dynamics and cultivate a work environment in which productivity, engagement, innovation, and employee wellbeing flourish.

At Pro-Noctis, we work with organisations and businesses to support positive company cultures and effective leadership. We can help you improve your people management, interpret your staff feedback and drive your workplace functionality.

Get in touch today to discuss the opportunities for your organisation.