A few years ago, a manager I know started every team meeting with a simple question: “What’s one thing that surprised you this week?”
At first, the team hesitated. They stuck to safe answers like a new product feature, a late delivery, the weather.
But over time, something shifted. People started opening up. Someone admitted they’d dropped the ball on a deadline.
Another shared how they’d handled a difficult client conversation. Soon, those meetings went beyond status updates. They were moments of real connection.
That’s what trust looks like. It doesn’t happen in one big team retreat or through a motivational email. It builds gradually in the everyday moments where people feel safe enough to speak honestly and know they’ll be met with understanding instead of judgment.
For leaders, creating that kind of environment is one of the most powerful things you can do. High-trust teams move faster, collaborate better, and stick around longer because they believe in each other and in you.
Without trust, you're just a group of different people working on overlapping projects. With trust, you’re a team.
In a team setting, trust is knowing people will follow through, speak up honestly, and support each other’s success.
Let’s say you’re in a meeting where someone floats a risky new idea. Instead of silence or side-eye glances, the team jumps in to build on it. That’s what team trust looks like in action.
Trust doesn’t mean your team blindly agreeing with you or nodding along to every plan. It’s about believing in one another’s integrity and intentions. When someone speaks up, they’re doing it for the good of the team, not their own ego.
On high-trust teams, people feel safe to challenge ideas, ask questions, and take ownership without fear of being thrown under the bus. They know you’ve got their back and that you mean what you say.
When leaders build trust, results follow. Teams that operate with high trust are over three times more efficient and five times more likely to deliver on their goals.
The benefits of a high-trust team:
Trust doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built through a hundred small moments where words and actions line up. But once it’s there, it changes everything about how a team works together.
Trust doesn’t just appear because you say “we’re all in this together.” It’s built piece by piece, through consistent behavior that proves you mean what you say.
Four qualities form the foundation that strong teams stand on:
Credibility comes from competence and consistency. Your team needs to believe that you know your stuff and will own up when you don’t. When leaders follow through on their promises and make informed decisions, people feel confident putting their trust in them.
Reliability is about doing what you say you’ll do every time. It’s the pattern of showing up prepared, meeting deadlines, and following through commitments. When reliability becomes the norm, people stop worrying about dropped balls and start focusing on collective goals.
Honesty means telling the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. It builds psychological safety, that sense that people can speak up without fear. Teams that value honesty don’t waste energy on guessing games or office politics. They work towards collective solutions and solve problems faster.
Openness is the willingness to listen, share information, and invite feedback. It shows humility and respect. When leaders are transparent about decisions and receptive to input, trust deepens, because people feel seen and heard.
Trust doesn’t come from a single team-building exercise or an inspiring pep talk. It’s built through the daily practices. The ways you hire, communicate, and lead. Here’s how to lay the groundwork for lasting trust across your team.
Trust begins before a new hire even logs into their first Zoom call. It’s both who you hire, and how you set expectations in the hiring process.
When you hire people who align with your values and communicate honestly during onboarding, you set the tone for transparency. Be clear about what the role involves, how your team works, and what success looks like. When people feel they’ve joined a culture that means what it says, they start trusting it from day one.
Open communication is the heartbeat of trust. Set up clear, reliable ways for people to share updates and raise issues, and make sure you respond when they do.
That doesn’t mean committing to 24/7 availability. It means being consistent and approachable. Set expectations like “I’ll get to chats within 20 minutes and emails within the hour,” and stick to those expectations. Encourage your team to keep those lines open too, so information flows freely instead of getting stuck in silos.
High-performing teams thrive when leaders trust first. Trust your team and they will come to trust you. Assume your team will deliver, communicate, and own their responsibilities without hovering over them.
Micromanagement sends the opposite message, that you don’t believe they’re capable. If trust gets broken, address it directly and transparently rather than letting resentment fester. The fastest way to earn trust is to give it.
Read more: Delegating Tasks: How Effective Leader's Delegate
Trust grows when people know their effort matters. Recognition doesn’t always need to come with a trophy. Sometimes a quick “great job on that project” in a team chat means just as much. Celebrate both big wins and small moments of excellence. When people feel seen and appreciated, they invest more deeply in the team’s success.
It’s easier to trust people you actually know. When your team sees each other as humans, not just job titles, collaboration feels natural and communication becomes more open. Create regular opportunities for connections that fit your team’s personality and schedule. These don’t need to be big productions.
Consistent, intentional touchpoints help people feel part of something bigger.
Ways to foster genuine connection:
Trust doesn’t equal control. It should mean empowerment. Encourage your team to take the wheel in shaping how relationships grow and how they collaborate best.
Ask your team members questions that show genuine curiosity, like:
When leaders listen and adapt, people feel trusted, and in turn, become more trustworthy themselves.
People trust leaders who invest in their growth. Set aside time and resources for your team to explore new projects, take relevant courses, and learn from one another.
Encourage job shadowing or cross-training sessions where teammates can teach what they know. When you show that you care about their progress beyond their output, trust and loyalty will naturally follow.
Learn more: 4 Strategies to Ignite a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Your team can’t meet goals they don’t understand. Set clear expectations for both performance and collaboration and explain the “why” behind them.
Clarity removes anxiety and helps everyone stay aligned. Check in regularly, invite feedback, and adjust when needed. When people know what’s expected and why it matters, they trust the process and the leadership guiding it.
Shared experiences build stronger trust than any workshop ever could. Look for opportunities for your team to collaborate across projects or departments and let people volunteer for leadership roles.
Whether it’s a cross-functional initiative or a quick peer brainstorm, these moments create connection and mutual respect, the foundation of every high-trust team.
When something doesn’t go as planned, resist the urge to move on too quickly. Instead, make it a habit to pause and unpack what happened. Invite your team to share their perspectives on what worked, what didn’t, and what could be done differently next time.
These open, blame-free conversations surface valuable lessons and show that accountability and learning matter more than perfection.
Trust isn’t something you build once and check off a list. It’s something you maintain every day. Keep asking for feedback, listening closely, and adjusting your approach as your team evolves.
When people see that you’re genuinely committed to getting better, not just expecting them to, they’ll meet you with the same level of honesty and trust in return.
Learn more: How to Build a Future-Ready Team
Trust is what keeps great teams running. Whether it’s between leaders and employees or between you and the partners who support your work.
At Prialto, we believe trust should extend beyond your internal team. That’s why our virtual assistant service is built to deliver the same reliability, transparency, and accountability you expect from your best employees.
Here’s how we help you build trust through better support:
With Prialto, you gain a dependable extension of your team that builds confidence and continuity. Because when every part of your organization operates with trust, growth follows naturally.
Ready to see how Prialto can help your team work smarter and stronger together?