The Importance of Trust in the Workplace: Key Insights

Leadership can be complicated, especially in today’s VUCA (volatile, uncertain, chaotic, and ambiguous) world.

Yet the leaders who understand the importance of trust in the workplace will discover that successfully navigating the VUCA environment may not be easy, but it is possible.

Why Trust in Leadership is Important?

When employees trust their leaders, they feel more secure in their roles, leading to increased engagement, loyalty, and motivation.

In turn, this trust fosters a positive, resilient team dynamic that can adapt and excel, even during times of uncertainty.

The Platinum Rule and Trust

The question we often get from our clients and leadership training program participants is, “How do we generate trust in our teams so that they feel valued, engaged, and productive?”

Our quick answer? Be kind and genuinely care about the people on your team. 

This is because the importance of trust in the workplace can’t be overstated—it directly shapes how people show up, perform, and connect.

That makes sense, right? Be good to others and they will be good to you? In some respects, that is correct. However, being kind and genuinely caring about the people on your team goes beyond the Golden Rule of treating others how you want to be treated. It taps more into the Platinum Rule of treating others how they want to be treated. 

Why the Platinum Rule Reinforces the Importance of Trust in the Workplace

The reason why following The Platinum Rule helps leaders develop stronger, more trusting relationships with their teams is because of what it requires the leader to do.

Our teams, when given the freedom to do so, are the ones that carry our organizational goals forward to completion. They are the ones that contribute ideas, solutions, and perspectives. They are on our teams for a reason, right? We believed in their ability to get the job done.

Now, as leaders, we must step back and trust in that ability. Not by taking a hands-off approach, but by:

• Providing support and guidance.
• Creating opportunities for them to develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence to complete the task at hand.
• Reinforcing the greater purpose behind their work.

When teams feel trusted and supported, they strive to bring that greater purpose to life.

Get to Know What Your People Need

Another reason why the Platinum Rule supports a leader in generating trust and developing relationships is that to treat people as they want to be treated, the leader must know something about that person.

More specifically, the leader must learn:

• What brings out the best in their direct reports
• What they need to get their jobs done
• What they ultimately want from their careers

Gathering this insight takes time, genuine investment, and a consistent practice of kindness. Intentionally investing in relationships with your direct reports generates both trust and a feeling of being cared for.

Caring, not in the way that you are the boss that brings donuts in every Monday morning to show that you care about your team. But in the way that you feel what they are feeling, celebrate what they are celebrating, and genuinely know who they are and what’s important to them.

How to Build Trust in Leadership?

There is a lot required of leaders today, and it is not getting easier. Yet it’s important to stay positive and continuously stretch yourself to see the bigger picture.

Those leaders who are not able to see the bigger picture will find themselves stepping into more and more difficult situations, and more frequently, at that.

One of the reasons for this is that they are only relying on their abilities and not seeing what their team offers if trusted to do so. They are internally focused.

Whereas, when we step outside ourselves and follow the Platinum Rule, generate trust by intentionally investing in our relationships. We also:

• Go beyond the coffee and donut approach to show just how much we care
• Cultivate a culture that works together and more successfully achieves our goals
• Practice kindness in our leadership. The very kindness that will guide us to the other side, no matter the challenges the world may bring us.

The Importance of Trust in the Workplace: Small Actions, Big Impact

So, this week we invite you to integrate one or more of the following recommendations in your leadership—and let us know how it goes:

• Be kind.
• Show gratitude as a leader by intentionally investing in your team.
• Follow the Platinum Rule: treat others how they want to be treated.
• Enjoy the coffee and donuts while also having one-on-one conversations with your team members and talk with them about what they want from their careers and how you can support them.
• Trust in your team. Believe that each person on the team is offering up their best every time.
• Consider the bigger picture and the actions that you might take to generate even more trust.

However, it also strengthens relationships, promotes innovation, improves company culture and increases engagement within ourselves and others.

Take the Next Step Toward Stronger Leadership and Team Engagement

Looking to learn more about better navigating the VUCA world, the importance of trust in the workplace, generating trust within your organization, and becoming a more effective leader?

We help leaders of Fortune 500 companies and national organizations better understand the actions they can take that work best for themselves, their teams, and their organizations.

Contact us to learn more about our executive coaching opportunities and leadership programs at info@WinningWaysInc.com. We will talk soon.