Over the past 30 years, I have worked with hundreds of organizations to help them improve their corporate culture. Despite having observed organizations from different industries and different situations, I almost always arrive at the same conclusion: leadership gets what it deserves. Whether it is a thriving and healthy work environment, engaged and passionate employees, or unmotivated and detached team members, the leaders are always the ones responsible, and their efforts produce the results they deserve. As a leader, it is up to you to create a workplace culture that inspires its employees to grow and fosters positive, meaningful connections. The first step in achieving this is to build trust between you and your employees and between your employees and themselves.
Here are six key principles with which you, as a leader, can effectively build that trust:
- Know and live your values
The most important and natural way that people begin to trust each other is through values. If you see someone on the street stealing from a hotdog stand, you immediately form a judgment of that person based on the value that they are embodying: dishonesty. Alternatively, if you see someone help an old person cross the street, you are likely to see them in a positive light because of the kindness that they are living.
Similarly, in the workplace, employees form judgments about their leaders based on the values they see them embody. If a leader consistently demonstrates integrity, fairness, and respect, employees will be more inclined to trust them. On the other hand, if a leader’s actions are inconsistent with their words or values, trust erodes quickly. If you say the organization has a specific set of values and you either are not living them or are not ensuring that everyone in the organization is living them, the employees will question your integrity. Remember, your employees are always watching you. You are the one that they look to when in doubt about the organization, and it is up to you to model the behavior that you want to see.
Ensure that the organization’s values align with what you would want your employees to live. Live these values in every decision that you make, and soon, your employees will not only trust you but also begin to embody these values in their daily lives as well
- Get to know the people around you so you can serve them at the highest level.
Trust does not just come from values alone; it also comes from genuine relationships. Think about it: the people you trust most in your life aren’t just the people you look up to; they are your family and friends, i.e., the people you have strong, genuine relationships with. The same applies to the workplace, too; your employees might respect you as their leader, but to truly place their trust in you, they need to actually have a genuine relationship with you.
As a leader, one of the most impactful ways you can build trust is by getting to know your team members on a personal level. Understanding their strengths, challenges, motivations, and personal goals allows you to support and guide them more effectively. This shows your employees that you actually care about them as individuals and do not just see them as contributors to the company’s bottom line.
- Adopt the philosophy of “It’s All Of Us”
Work is a team sport. Much like basketball or football, the teams matter more than just one individual. If one person fails, so does the whole team. If one scores, it benefits the whole team. Trust, not just in the leader but also among colleagues, skyrockets when employees feel that they are part of a unified team where success and failure are shared experiences. A leader who embraces the philosophy of “It’s all of us” understands that the success of the organization is dependent on the collective efforts of the entire team. That leader truly believes that if you fail, I fail, and only when you succeed do I succeed.
When you consistently communicate to your employees that their success is your success and that their failures are shared, not theirs alone, it creates an unbreakable sense of camaraderie and trust. This will help your people feel safe and trusted and encourage them to take risks and innovate to achieve the best that they possibly can.
- Fully live “My Word Is My Bond”
People trust those who keep their word. Whether this is a small commitment like showing up on time for lunch or a deeper and more personal commitment, always treating your word as your bond is essential to fostering trust in the workplace. Employees are quick to notice whether their leaders stick to their word. If you consistently make promises and fail to deliver, trust erodes. Conversely, when your actions align with your words, people trust you to lead with integrity. A leader who embodies integrity is one who inspires not just trust but also respect and loyalty from their people.
Living by the principle of “my word is my bond” also means being honest when things do not go as planned. If you cannot keep a promise due to unforeseen events, openly communicate the reasons and offer an alternative. Owning up to setbacks and being transparent communicates that you are trustworthy, even in moments where you might not accomplish what you said you would.
- Commit to living with sound financial principles.
Whether in your personal life or when running a business, when people see that you can utilize your resources responsibly, you inspire them to do the same. It signals to those around you that you can be trusted with resources and that you are capable of making thoughtful, sustainable decisions. This fosters trust by showing your people that you have the foresight to manage resources in a way that benefits both the present and the future. Whether you’re handling finances, time, or manpower, how you allocate resources is a direct reflection of your values and priorities.
When employees see you making deliberate, responsible decisions about the company’s resources, it encourages them to adopt a similar mindset. They become more conscious of how they spend their time and money, improving not just individual performance but also contributing to the greater good of the organization. This can also foster trust with external stakeholders, such as investors or partners, showing them that their investments are in safe hands.
- Commit to the truth. Always.
Trust takes time to build. Sometimes, it might take days, months, or maybe even years. But all it takes is one lie to break it. Honesty is the foundation of trust, and as a leader, committing to the truth, despite how difficult or uncomfortable it might be, is essential to preserve this trust. When leaders are transparent and truthful, even in challenging situations, it fosters a culture of openness and trust. People need to know that they can rely on you to be honest with them, whether it’s about performance feedback, business challenges, or organizational changes.
Committing to the truth means avoiding half-truths, sugar-coating, or withholding information. However, this is not an excuse to be harsh or blunt with your words. It means you are straightforward, respectful, and gentle in communicating the truth and nothing but the truth. Moreover, this will motivate your employees to adopt the same standard, leading to more honest communication, greater accountability, and stronger relationships across the organization. This will create a culture where people feel safe to be open, ask questions, and share their own truths, knowing they’ll be met with honesty and fairness in return.
Following these six principles will get you well on your way to creating a culture of trust within your organization. By living your values, knowing your team, fostering collaboration, keeping your word, practicing responsible resource management, and committing to truthfulness, you lay the foundation for a culture of trust.
As a leader, your influence shapes the trust within your workplace. Start with these steps and watch the positive transformation unfold.
