"Why won’t my team trust me with this new idea?"
If you’ve ever asked yourself that question, you’re not alone. Maybe you’ve promised this time will be different. Maybe you’ve launched another initiative that quietly died. Maybe you’re frustrated because you know this idea is good—so why the resistance?
Here’s the truth: It’s not them. It’s you. You haven’t earned their trust yet.
Trust Is Like a Piggy Bank
Building trust is like building wealth: It’s all about small, consistent habits that add up to big results. Every time you follow through, show you care, or respect someone’s time? Ding! That’s a coin in your piggy bank. But the opposite is true too. It’s hard to bank goodwill with bad habits—not keeping your promises, ignoring feedback, or avoiding accountability.
5 Ways to Fill the Bank
1. Do what you say you’ll do. If you commit to reviewing schedules by Friday, review them by Friday. If you say you’ll address the supply issue, address it.
2. Check in—and mean it. Ask how someone’s day is going and actually listen to the answer. Those small moments of genuine connection? Trust deposits.
3. Give someone a task and let them own it. Don’t micromanage. Trust them to handle it. When you show trust, you build trust.
4. Celebrate wins—even the small ones. Notice when someone does something well and say so. Recognition is currency in the trust bank.
5. Show up consistently. Not just on the good days. Especially on the tough ones. Your team is watching to see if you’re the same leader when things get hard.
Fill the Bank Before You Need It
Leadership isn’t about being perfect. It’s about showing up, making those deposits, and earning trust before you really need it. Because when you do need it—when you launch that new idea or ask your team to stretch—you’ll have a full piggy bank to draw from.
Trust isn’t given. It’s earned. Fill the bank, and your team—and your practice—will thrive