Creating a Trust Based Culture within Your Team

A trusting culture begins with strong leadership. Leaders must be willing to set an example by being transparent and honest with their team, and must be dedicated to building trust through their actions. Trust cannot be forced; it must be earned over time through consistent behaviour. One of the advantages of executive coaching is that it can help leaders learn how to build trust within their teams. When team members know they can trust their leader, they are more likely to trust one another as well. This creates a positive feedback loop in which trust breeds more trust, leading to a more productive and cohesive team.

Factors of Trust

When measuring the levels of trust within your team, there are a number of vital factors to consider.

1. Consistency: A leader who is inconsistent in their behaviour will quickly lose the trust of their team. Team members need to be able to count on the leader to act in a certain way, and to be reliable.
2. Respect: When team members feel that they are respected by their leader, they are more likely to trust them. Leaders must be careful not to cross boundaries or mistreat their team members, as this will quickly erode trust.
3. Communication: Leaders must be willing to communicate openly and honestly with their team, and ensure that everyone has a voice. This includes sharing both positive and negative news equally, and being transparent about the company’s goals and objectives. Team members who feel like they are kept in the dark will not trust their leaders.
4. Vulnerability: Leaders must be willing to show their team that they are human and make mistakes. This vulnerability will breed respect and trust from the team. Leaders who try to appear perfect all the time will only appear fake and untrustworthy.

Building trust within your team can be a challenge, but it is vital for the success of the team.  A trust based culture will breed respect, communication, and collaboration, and will lead to a more productive and cohesive team. With the right leadership development, you can create a trust based culture within your team.

For more information about The Leadership Sphere and how we can help you unlock performance through leadership, by supporting your leaders at every level of the organisation with leadership development, executive coaching and high performance team programs please visit our website or call us on 1300 100 857.