Be Trustworthy!

Cathie Leimbach • June 6, 2022

Trust is essential for success in any and all aspects of our lives. When we don’t trust others, we don’t want to spend time with them or collaborate with them. Likewise, when we aren’t trustworthy, others don’t want to work or play with us. The degree to which leaders are trusted by the people around them determines whether they are likely to be leading an enthusiastic results-oriented team or surrounded by lethargic and disgruntled low performers.  


Trust is so important that it is the focus of David Horsager’s company, Trust Edge. Trust can be defined as a “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something”. Do your boss, peers, employees, customers, and suppliers all believe that you are reliable, honest, and skilled? If not, then they don’t see you as trustworthy. Their lack of trust in you is impacting the organization’s performance.


Increasing trust creates transformation. When leaders learn to balance transparency, consistent communication, and healthy, results-based accountability, their colleagues perceive them as more trustworthy. This is true for in-person, virtual, and hybrid work situations. A lack of trust breeds a lack of uncertainty which increases fear. This sparks our natural fight or flight instinct which reduces productivity and increases dissatisfaction, decreasing morale, performance, and retention.


Unfortunately, lack of trust is very common. 10% of people say they have never had a leader or employer they could fully trust. On average, employees indicate that they have mostly or completely trusted their leaders for only 45% of their work life. In early 2022, only 13% of the workforce reported completely trusting their current employer.


Since everything takes longer and costs more when trust is low, the lack of trust can be an organization’s biggest expense. 94% of Americans say that lack of trust affects their performance. Collaboration and strong connections among workplace colleagues create the foundation for business success. Yet, the majority of senior leaders spend more time on finances, technology, strategy, and production than they do on people and culture.


How much attention are you giving to connecting and collaborating with your people? What about engaging and empowering them by helping them know what is expected of them and ensuring they feel valued? Are you one of the 13% of leaders who are seen as trustworthy or one of the 87% who are contributing to suboptimal results by not paying enough attention to organizational culture and valuing your people? If you’re in the majority, when are you going to take your first step towards being more trustworthy and what will that first step be?  

4 Leadership Behaviors That Drive Trust, Performance, and Accountability

By Cathie Leimbach • March 31, 2026
Most leaders don’t struggle because they lack knowledge. They struggle because leadership opportunities show up in daily conversations —and those moments are easy to miss. The difference between average and high-performing teams often comes down to four leadership behaviors: 1. Build Trust Through Everyday Conversations Trust is built in small moments. Listen to concerns Ask thoughtful questions Follow through Address issues quickly and respectfully 🤝 Trust grows through consistent, everyday conversations. 2. Reinforce What Good Looks Like People repeat what gets recognized. Be specific: “I appreciated how you handled that client issue quickly—that made a difference.” 🔒 Clarity + recognition = stronger performance. 3. Address Problems Early—Kindly and Clearly Avoiding issues creates bigger ones. Keep it simple: What was expected? What happened? What needs to change? 👥 Clear, timely conversations reduce drama and improve results. 4. Support People So They Can Succeed Your role is to help your team succeed. Clarify priorities Remove obstacles Provide resources Coach progress 🔍 When people have clarity and support, performance follows. The Real Lever: Conversations None of this requires new systems. It happens in everyday interactions— 1:1s, quick check-ins, and follow-ups. Better conversations → better results. Quick Reflection Which one would make the biggest difference for you right now? Build trust Reinforce performance Address problems early Support success 👉 Join our next 60-minute Leadership Conversation – Inspiring Employee Performance on Monday, April 6, at 3:00 pm ET. Not a webinar. A working session with other leaders looking at what’s actually happening on their teams—and how small shifts in daily conversations change performance fast. If you're curious what even a 10% shift in consistency could look like for your team… this is a good place to start.

Three Small Shifts That Change Everything

By Cathie Leimbach • March 24, 2026
You don’t need to make big changes in your leadership practices to get better results. Often, it’s small shifts in everyday leadership conversations that quietly change how work gets done. Here are three that work:  1. Make priorities clear Start meetings by stating current priorities. That creates focus right away and helps conversations stay on topic. 2. Ask instead of solve Instead of answering an employee’s questions, ask, “What are your suggestions?” Such questions encourage employee thinking and stronger follow-through. 3. Hold short monthly one-on-one check-ins Meeting with each employee one-on-one allows the regular review of goals, progress, and obstacles. These short conversations surface issues early and keep everyone aligned. These small habits keep teams steady and focused. Your challenge this month: Pick one shift and try it. Notice what changes in clarity, buy-in, or accountability. Sometimes the difference between teams that struggle and teams that move smoothly comes down to a few simple leadership conversations happening consistently. 👉 Join our 60-minute Leadership Conversation on March 30th at 3:00 PM to see how small shifts in everyday leadership conversations can quickly improve clarity, ownership, and results.