Building trust for great team performance

As a leader, do you feel pressure to have all the answers? My article below shares a personal leadership stumble and how I learned that building trust – not having all the answers – is what truly drives team performance. I've included six practical tips that made a real difference in my journey. I'd love to hear about your experiences with building trust in teams too

Building Trust to Drive Great Team Performance

I took on a leadership role earlier in my career, in a company where growth had stalled and my main objective was to lift performance again. It's fair to say I was pretty nervous about the increased responsibility and imposter syndrome was definitely affecting me.

I still cringe remembering my first townhall meeting, just a couple of weeks in, when someone asked point-blank: "So what's your strategy?" Pure panic washed over me, and I fumbled through a response that sounded unconvincing, even to my own ears.

Reflecting later (once my heart rate returned to normal), I wished I'd simply turned the question around. I could have invited that team member – and everyone else – into a conversation about where we needed to go.

But I didn't. Because I was trapped in that classic leadership mindset: believing I needed to have all the answers.

I think it's a trap that many leaders fall into. Aside from creating a huge amount of unnecessary stress, this kind of thinking creates a disconnect between you and your team when what you desperately need is connection and trust.

The importance of trust

Why is trust so important?

Patrick Lencioni's seminal Five Dysfunctions of a Team emphasises that trust isn't just a "nice to have" - it's the foundation that excellent team performance is built on.

But Lencioni doesn't talk about predictive trust ("I trust Sarah to meet deadlines because she always has"). He's talking about vulnerability-based trust – the willingness to say "I don't know" or "I need help" without fear.

This kind of trust creates an environment where everyone acknowledges their blind spots and limitations. Nobody has all the answers – not even the boss – and that's actually OK, because the team as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Without this foundation of trust, you can't hope to harness the full potential of your people and can only expect mediocre performance as a result.

What does trust look like in a high-performing team?

Everyone asks for help - including (and especially!) the leader. Neuroscientific studies show that asking for help is effective, because it taps into the natural human tendency to want to cooperate with others. It might seem counter-intuitive, but leaders who engage with their teams and invite their support actually build credibility.

Psychological safety thrives - when team members feel comfortable taking measured risks, admitting mistakes, and sharing ideas without fear of judgement or negative consequences, productivity increases and innovation flourishes, as individuals actively participate in problem-solving and develop new thinking.

Communication flows openly - constructive feedback is welcomed and given thoughtfully, with the emphasis on supporting personal and professional growth. Individuals adapt their communication styles to suit different situations and personalities and achieve positive outcomes. Tough conversations are handled quickly and respectfully.

Engagement reaches new heights - team members genuinely enjoy working together. They hold each other accountable without drama. Retention is strong because people feel valued and want to stay, to contribute their best work. Employee engagement scores are typically high.

Looking back at my early leadership stumbles, I learned pretty quickly that I needed to build trust in my team. It didn't happen overnight. It was more like a winding road with plenty of ups and downs and wrong turns! Below are some of my key learnings:

Six tips for building trust in a team

1. Work on your emotional intelligence

This skill plays a critical role in developing trust – and it's something you can cultivate and enhance with practice. Emotionally intelligent leaders connect and communicate with others with authenticity and empathy; they use their self-awareness and ability to regulate their emotions to adapt their behaviour in challenging situations, for positive outcomes.

2. Lead by example

Model the behaviours that you want to see in the team, starting by demonstrating genuine vulnerability. Highlighting your limitations and admitting to feelings of uncertainty sets an example for the rest of the team to follow and encourages a culture of openness and support for learning.

3. Make feedback part of the culture

Create safe, structured ways to give and receive honest feedback and recognise excellence. Celebrate wins – even small ones. It's incredibly motivational for teams. Consider implementing regular “lessons learned” sessions where the whole team participates, to make the process part of your way of doing things.

4. Foster autonomy, avoid micromanagement

Trust the team to do the work and give micromanagement a wide berth. Set clear expectations, then give people the space they need to deliver. Check in for support, but step back again to reinforce empowerment.

5. Share information, thoughtfully

Be clear about goals, ensuring that team members can make the connection between what they do day-to-day and how this plays a part in achieving team or organisational objectives. Be transparent about challenges facing the business. Trust grows when team members have a strong grasp of their organisational context.

6. Take time to reflect

It might seem obvious, but it's important to take the time to reflect on your progress and performance, in order to make adjustments and continue your own personal and professional growth. After all – you are fostering an environment where learning is actively encouraged, and you are included in that!

I hope these tips are helpful. But what about your journey? How have you built trust in your teams? What obstacles did you overcome along the way?