Imagine a scenario: A nervous employee steps into his boss’s office and, after gathering his courage, asks, “Can I get a raise?” The boss barely looks up and says: “Because of the fluctuational predisposition of your position’s productive capacity as juxtaposed to the industry standards, it would be monetarily injudicious to advocate an increment.” Then, he goes back to banging the keyboard of his computer.
The worker frowns and finally says, “I don’t get it!”
Without looking at the person, the boss says: “That’s right!”
In another tale, an employee at his boss’s funeral quietly murmurs, “Who’s thinking outside the box now, Boss?”
These humorous anecdotes capture a troubling workplace reality: the impact of low trust. When trust is lacking, the relationship between the leader and the team is weakened. Titles may give authority, but without trust, that authority means little.
And this problem is all too common. A report from HR consultancy DDI reveals that only 46 percent of leaders trust their direct managers to act in their best interest, and even fewer – under one-third – trust their senior leaders. Workers who don’t trust their team leader are less likely to listen and are less engaged, innovative, and productive.
I emphasize this point in my leadership seminars: “Trust and respect must be earned.” Titles and positions may give authority, but any workplace can quickly become dysfunctional without trust.
The side effects of this lack of trust are sobering. Here are just a few ways diminished trust impacts teams:
People pretend to listen
Employees who don’t trust their leaders may appear to listen, but the message rarely sticks. People don’t follow directions just because they’re told to – trust is essential. Suppose leaders don’t consistently uphold their word. In that case, employees quickly notice the inconsistency, and the message received is clear: the leader’s word can’t be trusted, or worse, it’s acceptable not to follow through.
This principle applies in all areas of influence, including parenting. Telling children, “Do as I say, not as I do,” simply doesn’t work. Actions always speak louder than words; actual influence comes from modeling consistent, trustworthy behavior.
People disengage
Engagement initiatives will only succeed if built on a solid ground of trust. When employees don’t trust their leaders, they disengage emotionally and mentally, often doing the bare minimum to get by. Without that foundational trust, employees are far more likely to leave immediately.
This disengagement can turn toxic at its worst, leading some employees to become actively hostile and harmful to the company culture.
People miscommunicate
Employees tend to put up walls to protect themselves when trust is lacking. While they may collaborate within their immediate team, they’re far less likely to reach out across departments. This hesitation weakens inter-team communication and raises the risk of mistakes. As quality suffers and errors accumulate, frustrations build, often leading to conflict.
People see no need for improvement and innovation
When employees lack trust in their leaders, they hesitate to innovate, speak up, or take risks. Trust is a cornerstone of psychological safety – a critical element in high-performing teams – where team members believe they can take interpersonal dangers without fear.
Trust that leaders will support them is necessary for employees to feel safe even in simple acts like challenging ideas or asking for help. As a result, creativity stalls, productivity drops, and inefficiency takes root.
So, how can leaders build – or rebuild – trust when it has been broken? The key lies in demonstrating consistency and reliability. Actions speak louder than words, so showing up and following through are essential first steps. Leaders must also take time to understand where trust may have faltered. Trust is founded on four core elements: competence, reliability, sincerity, and care.
Let’s remember one essential principle: leaders who have made mistakes must have the moral courage to own up to them. Admitting errors and apologizing takes fortitude, but it’s also critical to correcting those mistakes. Shifting blame only damages trust further. As I often emphasize in my Level Up Leadership seminars, “Saying sorry and admitting fault is not a sign of weakness; it’s a show of character. Vulnerability strengthens credibility, and credibility is the foundation of trust.”
When a leader slips up, what are the three most important words they should say to their team? Hint: the magic words are: “I am sorry,” and obviously, not “It’s your fault!”
Francis Kong’s “Inspiring Excellence” podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms.