I can remember very distinctly early in my career when one of my leaders trusted me with no basis whatsoever. I was serving on our board of directors and we had just voted to approve an acquisition, one in which I was the lone vote against. So you can imagine my surprise when our CEO asked me after the board meeting if I would lead the implementation efforts on this acquisition. ME?! I just voted no for this.
“I know you voted against it, but I also believe you have the skills and knowledge to make this a big success. You have already identified the key risks of this transaction better than anyone else. I trust you to mitigate those risks and make this decision right for our future.”
You could have knocked me over with a feather. As I walked back to my office, I realized I was being given a high degree of trust. I now know that he was demonstrating the power of trust-first leadership. I distinctly remember how much this meant to me. I leaned in big time as I wanted to be worthy of his trust. I went from opposition to wanting to be a key reason this transaction was a huge success. I also began to trust him more as a leader.
All of these changes in me are known benefits of leadership that practice trust first. When I share with others that we need to believe in the inherent good in people and trust first, most leaders draw back. Why? We have all had our trust broken, and it will happen again. That’s why I call it the courage move. It takes courage to trust first. Anytime we trust someone, we are putting ourselves at risk and being vulnerable. No one can make you trust them. They can be trustworthy, but you still have to be vulnerable to actually trust them.
This is why it is so important today that leaders build high-trust teams by trusting first. When we withhold trust, it shows up in micromanagement, it starves initiative, and team member growth. It generates fear of making mistakes, so learning is stalled. We can always use smart trust, understand who we are trusting, what the downsides are, and stress clarity on what the expectations are. We can follow up in ways that are not micromanaging. We can ask questions for understanding.
Three big moves
1) Replace fuzzy agreements with clear commitments
Fuzzy agreements destroy trust because they create different movies in different minds. Get crisp on who owns what, by when, and how we’ll check in. Let the team help set the checkpoints. That’s trust plus accountability.
2) Give the benefit of good intentions
When something goes sideways, lead with curiosity: “What did you see? What constrained your decision? What would you try next time?” This posture preserves dignity and reveals the system issues you actually need to fix. In other words, seek to understand before we judge. You will be surprised by what you learn.
3) Make your trust explicit
Say it out loud: “I’m trusting you with this client conversation. Here’s the outcome we’re aiming for. I’m here if you need me; otherwise, I’ll see you at our Wednesday checkpoint.” When leaders model trust, teams learn to extend it to each other.
What changed
People leaned in. They didn’t want to drop the trust that had been placed in them. Pace increased. Ownership spread. And yes, mistakes still happened—but now they became fuel for learning, not evidence for control.
Try this week
- Audit one project for fuzzy agreements. Clarify ownership, timeline, checkpoints.
- Open a tough conversation with curiosity before conclusions.
- Delegate one level deeper than is comfortable—and make your trust visible.
The greatest risk of all is not trusting enough. That is when performance falters the most.
Tom Hood says “Joey Havens shows the way to build a magnetic firm that attracts, retains, and develops people in a never-ending cause to constantly be better. We need this book and message more than ever.”
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