I will never forget that moment. We were so close to winning the championship that year at the national level. Our athletics team was carefully chosen. We won all the races at the district level. The team progressed to the regions as the favourite. They did not disappoint. The winning spirit was the rhythm of every race. The morale was high. We enjoyed every bit of each race. As other teams struggled, our team was excelling. It was so interesting to watch.

In the finals at the national level, our team lost. We lost not because the team was not very fast, but because they fumbled the baton. That tiny moment of hesitation, mistrust, and poor coordination cost us gold. It was not about speed; it was about trust.

Your business is a relay race. Every task passed between team members is a baton. Yet, in so many companies, the baton drops not occasionally, but repeatedly. Why? Because trust, the invisible thread that binds high-performing teams, is weak or missing.

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"You don't build a business. You build people, and they build the business."

Zig Ziglar Tweet
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Trust is not a luxury, it is your lifeline

Leaders often focus on strategy, KPIs, and technology while ignoring the trust deficit choking their teams. You can not execute a brilliant strategy if your people don not trust each other or worse, don’t trust you. Productivity does not suffer because people lack resources, they should be scarce! It suffers because people hesitate. They second-guess. They withhold information. They work in silos because they fear judgment, blame, or being overshadowed.

The result? Missed opportunities, delayed projects, and stagnant growth.

The high cost of low trust

Take a case I read about Wells Fargo’s fake accounts scandal. Leadership’s relentless pressure to meet quotas destroyed trust within the organization. Employees, driven by fear, resorted to unethical practices to meet targets. The fallout? Billions in fines, a tarnished reputation, and a workforce demoralized beyond repair.

Now, contrast that with the 2010 Chilean mining rescue. Thirty-three miners, trapped for 69 days, survived because of extraordinary trust among themselves and their rescuers. Leaders didn’t micromanage or assign blame. They empowered teams to innovate, collaborate, and act decisively. The result? A miracle.

Trust isn’t built through motivational posters or fluffy team-building exercises. It’s earned through consistent, authentic leadership and deliberate action. Trust increases team morale, motivation and staff retention, among others.

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"A true leader does not chase applause, they chase the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable, because only truth builds enduring success."

Mr Strategy Tweet
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Building trust is hard, but ignoring it is fatal

If your team doesn’t trust you, it’s your fault. Trust starts at the top. Are you walking the talk? Are you consistent in your decisions? Do you listen more than you speak?

Here’s how to start:

  1. Be vulnerable, but strong. Admit when you do not have all the answers. It shows humility, not weakness. But follow up by demonstrating decisive action.
  2. Eliminate fear of failure. Create an environment where mistakes are lessons, not career-ending moments. When people stop fearing blame, they start contributing ideas.
  3. Make transparency your policy. Hidden agendas breed suspicion. Open communication fosters trust. Let your people know the ‘why’ behind your decisions.
  4. Build personal connections. You can not lead strangers. Invest time in understanding your people, what drives them, what challenges them, what inspires them.
  5. Hold everyone accountable. Trust flourishes when people see that rules apply equally, regardless of rank or title.

The productivity payoff

Teams that trust each other move faster. They debate constructively, align quickly, and execute relentlessly. They become unstoppable.

If you are struggling with missed deadlines, high turnover, or poor performance, do not chase the symptoms. Fix the root cause: trust. Start today. Because every day you wait is another dropped baton and another lost race.

Let’s win. What is your organisational culture? Contact Summit Consulting Ltd for a scientific culture audit as you embark on your transformation agenda.

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