Trust Isn’t a Request. It’s an Outcome.

Happy Wednesday!

Welcome to Leadership Unscripted. Each edition, we share 1 Case Study, 1 Framework, 1 Question. These are real moments and practical strategies for rethinking your approach to leadership.

Let’s dive in.

Marcus was a senior executive who had led multiple high-growth teams. He was sharp, confident, and action-oriented. When things moved fast, his default was simple: “Trust me — I’ve got this.”

Yet over time, cracks started to form.

Team members hesitated to speak up in meetings. A project ran off course because people assumed Marcus had a plan, even when they didn’t understand it. One high-potential employee left and cited a “lack of transparency” in their exit interview.

In coaching, Marcus finally paused to reflect.
“I keep asking them to trust me,” he said.
“But I don’t think I’ve shown them why they should.”

That was the shift. Trust wasn’t something he could command.
It had to be earned — through behavior, not words.

So he changed his approach.

He started narrating his decisions more clearly.
He acknowledged when he didn’t have all the answers.
And when a project didn’t go as planned, he didn’t deflect — he owned it.

Bit by bit, the team responded. People spoke up earlier. Feedback became more candid. Accountability was shared, not siloed.

Because trust doesn’t show up when you ask for it.
It shows up when you build it, one action at a time. Trust is an output, not an input.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 Framework

The Trust Loop

Want more trust on your team? Don’t ask for it. Practice it.

• Transparency – Share what you’re doing and why it matters

• Consistency – Show up reliably in values, tone, and action

• Repair – When things break down, own it and reset

Trust doesn’t come from a title. It comes from behavior.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 Question

You can’t shortcut trust. 👉 Are you asking for trust — or earning it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

What’s one small action that built trust on your team — or broke it?

Reply and share. Your story might be exactly what another leader needs to hear this week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More to Explore

Teams don’t fail because of talent. They fail because of trust breakdowns.
Our Team Coaching and Leadership Alignment Off-Sites help uncover the behaviors and habits that block trust — and replace them with ones that build it.

Explore Our Team Coaching Work →

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Real Stories. Real Tools. Real Impact.

Forget the fluff. We’re that company, revealing behind-the-scenes leadership wins and strategies that actually work.

Because all it takes is one bold move to shatter barriers, inspire your team, and make your mark.