Would You Trust You? Why Trust in Leadership Starts With Your Own Behaviour
Real organisational change isn't just about strategy, it's about people. Chameleon Skills Coaching partners with organisations to help individuals and teams perform and thrive.
Would you trust yourself to do what you expect of others? It's a question that might make us a little uncomfortable, but perhaps that's exactly why it's worth exploring. In this article, we invite you to consider how everyday choices and behaviours build, strengthen or undermine trust in ourselves, our teams and our organisations. We also offer a practical challenge to help you explore the gap between your intentions and your actions. Stay curious.
Trust is one of those words we hear constantly in organisations. We talk about building trust, creating trusting relationships and developing cultures of trust. It appears in company values, leadership programmes and employee engagement surveys.
But how often do we stop and ask ourselves a rather uncomfortable question? Would I trust me? Would I trust myself to do what I say I will do? Would my colleagues trust me to follow through on a commitment? Would my team feel comfortable telling me something I might not want to hear?
Trust is easy to expect from others. It can be rather more challenging to examine in ourselves. Perhaps that is where the conversation needs to begin.
Trust starts with you
We often think of trust as something that exists between people. Yet the relationship we have with ourselves is equally important.
Do you trust yourself to make decisions? To acknowledge when you have made a mistake? To follow through on the goals you set?
Trust in yourself is not about always being right or having all the answers. It is about developing confidence in your ability to act with integrity, learn from experience and take responsibility for your choices.
Every time we make a promise to ourselves and keep it, we strengthen that trust. Every time we avoid a difficult decision, ignore our own values or repeatedly fail to follow through, we risk undermining it.
Of course, life happens. Priorities change and circumstances sometimes prevent us from doing what we intended. Trust is not about perfection. It is about being honest with ourselves and taking responsibility for what happens next. If you cannot rely on yourself, how confidently can you expect others to rely on you?
Trust within your team
Now consider the people you work with. Trust is rarely built through grand gestures. More often, it develops through everyday interactions.
It is the colleague who delivers what they promised. The manager who admits they got something wrong. The team member who raises a concern rather than allowing a problem to grow.
It is also about creating an environment where people feel able to speak openly, challenge ideas and acknowledge uncertainty without fear of embarrassment or punishment. As leaders, we sometimes assume that because our doors are open, people will walk through them. But an open door does not necessarily mean an open conversation.
If someone disagrees with you, how do you respond? Do you become defensive, or do you remain curious? When something goes wrong, do you look for someone to blame, or do you explore what can be learned?
People notice these responses. Over time, they determine whether trust grows or diminishes. Trust is reciprocal. We cannot reasonably expect our teams to be transparent with us if we are unwilling to demonstrate transparency ourselves.
Trust across the organisation
The third layer takes us beyond individual relationships into the wider organisational system. Organisations frequently identify integrity, accountability and transparency as core values. But values written on a wall mean very little unless they are reflected in everyday behaviour.
Consider an organisation that promotes openness but discourages employees from questioning decisions. Or one that talks about accountability but regularly shifts responsibility when things go wrong. Perhaps leaders announce ambitious goals but fail to communicate when priorities change or promises cannot be kept.
The gap between what an organisation says and what people experience is where trust can begin to erode. Organisational trust is built through consistency between words, decisions and actions.
This does not mean that leaders must share every piece of information or that every decision will be popular. It means explaining the reasoning behind decisions where possible, acknowledging uncertainty and treating people with respect.
Sometimes the most powerful words a leader can say to build trust are: "I don't know yet, but I will find out." Or even: "We got that wrong, and this is what we are going to do about it."
When integrity, transparency and accountability become part of how an organisation operates, rather than simply what it claims to value, trust has an opportunity to flourish.
The trust challenge: Would you trust you?
Rather than simply thinking about trust as an abstract concept, why not take a few minutes to examine your own behaviour? Rate yourself against the following statements using a scale of 1 to 5:
1 = Rarely true of me | 5 = Consistently true of me
Trust in yourself:
I follow through on the commitments and goals I set for myself.
I make decisions that are consistent with my values, even when they are difficult.
I acknowledge my mistakes and take responsibility for learning from them.
I have confidence in my ability to navigate uncertainty and change.
Trust within your team:
I keep my promises and communicate when circumstances prevent me from doing so.
I encourage people to express different opinions, even when they challenge my own.
I am open and honest in my communication, including when conversations are uncomfortable.
I demonstrate trust in others by giving them appropriate responsibility and autonomy.
Trust in your organisation:
My actions are consistent with the values I expect others to demonstrate.
I communicate decisions and changes as transparently as circumstances allow.
I take responsibility for my contribution to the wider organisation, not just my immediate role.
I challenge behaviours or practices that undermine trust, even when doing so is uncomfortable.
What does your score tell you?
Add up your scores for each section. Each has a possible total of 20.
16 to 20: Behaviours that build trust appear to be a consistent strength.
11 to 15: A reasonable foundation, with opportunities to strengthen consistency.
6 to 10: Some behaviours may be undermining trust and deserve closer attention.
4 to 5: This may be an important area for reflection and development.
This is not a scientifically validated assessment, nor is it intended to label you as trustworthy or untrustworthy. It is simply an invitation to pause and reflect. To stay curious about what your responses might reveal.
Perhaps the most useful question is not "How well did I score?" but rather: "Where is the gap between my intentions and my behaviour?"
From reflection to action
Trust is not something we establish once and then forget about. It needs attention, particularly when circumstances become challenging.
Think about one relationship, one commitment or one behaviour where you could make a difference. Perhaps it is following through on something you have been putting off. Perhaps it is having a conversation you have been avoiding. Or perhaps it is giving someone the opportunity to demonstrate that they can be trusted.
Small actions, repeated consistently, can change the quality of our relationships and the environments in which we work. Remember, trust can be damaged quickly, but rebuilding it usually requires time, honesty and consistent behaviour.
So, before asking whether you can trust your colleagues, your team or your organisation, consider starting with a more personal question. Would you trust you? If your answer is "not always", what might you choose to do differently tomorrow?
Trust is built through everyday choices, conversations and relationships. At Chameleon Skills Coaching, we work with leaders and teams to explore the patterns that strengthen or undermine trust, and what becomes possible when those patterns begin to shift.
If you'd like to explore what this might mean for you or your team, we'd welcome a conversation.
Visit our website for more info!
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Chameleon Skills Coaching, Ecosystemic Team & Organisational Coaches
At Chameleon Skills Coaching, we believe that organisations change when people do. Since 2006, we've partnered with leaders and teams to navigate complexity, strengthen relationships, and build workplace cultures where people and performance can thrive. Our ecosystemic approach combines coaching, leadership development, and practical insight into the human dynamics that shape every organisation.
