Trust in Action: 7 Moves to Earn It, Keep It, and Grow It

Trust is not a one-time achievement—it’s a daily practice. Leaders who consistently earn and maintain trust create teams that perform better, communicate openly, and navigate challenges with resilience.

But trust isn’t built in theory. It’s built-in action.

At Apex GTS, we help leaders operationalize trust through tangible behaviors. Here are seven trust-building moves that leaders can practice every day to earn, maintain, and grow trust.

1. Spot What’s Working

Leaders often get trapped in a problem-solving mindset. While it’s essential to address challenges, trust grows faster when leaders intentionally spotlight what’s working.

Recognizing wins—even small ones—shows your team that you’re paying attention and that progress matters. It builds momentum and demonstrates respect.

When leaders call out positive behaviors in real-time, they set the tone for what success looks like and encourage more of it. This move reinforces that the team’s contributions are valued and essential to overall success.

Small, daily acknowledgments create an environment where people feel seen and validated. Leaders who consistently recognize positive progress keep morale high and sustain long-term engagement.

2. Co-Create the Future

Trust is strengthened when leaders bring ideas to the table and invite their teams to shape them.

When you say, “Here’s what I see—what would you add?” you show that you value diverse perspectives and believe in shared ownership.

Co-creating the future enables teams to transition from passive execution to active engagement. It tells your people: “Your voice matters here.”

When employees help shape the strategy or process, they develop a more profound sense of buy-in and a stronger sense of accountability. They see themselves as co-authors of success, not just participants in someone else’s plan.

Leaders who involve their teams in visioning also build greater agility. When employees help shape the future, they are more invested in navigating the obstacles that lie ahead.

3. Ask for the Unsaid

The greatest threat to trust is what isn’t being talked about.

When leaders proactively ask, “What might I be missing?” or “What hasn’t been said yet?” they surface unspoken concerns before they become bigger issues.

This move invites honesty and reduces hidden risks. It creates psychological safety where people feel empowered to speak up.

Leaders who routinely ask for the unsaid prevent dangerous blind spots. They set a cultural norm where silence is not mistaken for alignment. People feel safer contributing dissenting opinions when they see leaders genuinely asking for them.

Asking for the unsaid also strengthens collaboration between departments and teams. When cross-functional groups can safely discuss concerns, silos start to break down, and organizational alignment improves.

4. Say Thank You for Trust

Trust given is trust earned.

When someone takes a chance on you—whether it’s handing you a big project, offering candid feedback, or supporting your leadership—say thank you.

Gratitude makes trust visible. It reinforces that you don’t take people’s confidence for granted.

This acknowledgment fosters reciprocal trust and motivates people to continue offering their honest feedback and discretionary effort. It strengthens the relational fabric of teams by reminding everyone that trust is noticed and appreciated.

Expressing gratitude for trust also extends to recognizing team efforts during critical projects or challenges. When leaders celebrate not just results but the trust it took to achieve them, teams feel valued beyond performance metrics.

5. Be the Mirror

Trustworthy leaders speak up when patterns or challenges start to surface.

Being the mirror means holding up the truth with care, even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s about naming what you see before it becomes a problem that blindsides the team.

Done well, this builds credibility because your team learns that you’re paying attention and that you’ll surface issues early.

Being the mirror also involves surfacing cultural misalignments or calling out ineffective behaviors in a constructive manner. Leaders who mirror with empathy reinforce that truth-telling is an act of care, not criticism.

Mirroring is also essential in recognizing and reinforcing positive patterns. When leaders reflect on successful behaviors and team wins, they create a feedback loop that reinforces what’s working.

6. Invite the Hard Conversations

When leaders say, “If you ever see something I could do better, I hope you’ll tell me,” they open the door to feedback.

Inviting hard conversations signals that you’re committed to growth, not just authority. It builds trust because people know they can bring brutal truths to you and they’ll be heard, not punished.

Hard conversations, when welcomed, make feedback a two-way street. They encourage continuous learning and shared accountability. Leaders who invite this feedback often uncover blind spots that would otherwise persist.

Leaders who proactively seek hard conversations create more adaptable teams. When feedback flows freely, teams improve faster and develop resilience in the face of change.

7. Keep Commitments Visible

Trust erodes in silence. Leaders build confidence when they follow through on their commitments and keep them visible.

This means regularly updating your team on progress: “Here’s what I promised—here’s where it stands.”

When teams can see your progress, they don’t have to guess where things stand. Visibility builds confidence.

Keeping commitments visible reinforces dependability. It ensures that follow-through isn’t assumed—it’s demonstrated. This small habit significantly improves team trust and reduces anxiety around accountability.

Publicly tracking and updating commitments creates transparency. It shows that leadership is paying attention and holding itself to the same accountability standards it asks of the team.

Why These Moves Matter

When leaders consistently practice these seven trust-building moves, they transform team dynamics:

• Feedback flows more freely.
• People raise concerns sooner.
• Accountability becomes mutual.
• Collaboration becomes smoother.
• Psychological safety becomes the norm.

These trust-building behaviors create a workplace where people feel empowered to contribute their best work without fear of retribution. Teams that trust each other take risks, innovate faster, and solve problems more effectively.

When trust is operationalized, it has a direct impact on performance, retention, and overall team health. High-trust teams don’t waste energy on second-guessing or protecting themselves. They focus on building solutions and delivering results.

Trust doesn’t grow by accident. It grows when leaders lead out loud, invite participation, and make their actions visible. It grows when the small, daily behaviors of leadership match the promises made to the team.

Without intentional trust-building, leaders often drift into a transactional style that stifles innovation and disconnects people from their purpose. Trust needs to be visible, measurable, and lived through leadership behavior.

Building trust takes courage, consistency, and humility. It requires leaders to ask better questions, to reflect openly, and to follow through visibly. These practices can feel uncomfortable at first, but they quickly become part of the leadership rhythm when prioritized.

Final Thought: How Apex GTS Can Help

At Apex GTS, we work with leaders to operationalize trust through specific, actionable behaviors. We help leadership teams:

• Develop high-trust communication rhythms.
• Facilitate trust-building conversations across functions.
• Coach leaders to ask better questions and listen first.
• Build systems that track commitments and celebrate progress.
• Design feedback loops that make trust a visible part of the culture.

Our approach focuses on transforming trust from an abstract concept into a measurable leadership skill that enhances performance and fosters a stronger culture.

We also help leaders create practical trust scorecards that track the behaviors that matter. These scorecards enable leadership teams to measure where trust is growing, where it’s stagnant, and where it requires reinforcement.

If your organization is ready to build a high-trust culture that scales, Apex GTS can help you put trust into action. Contact us today.

Because trust is not a buzzword—it’s a leadership discipline that shapes the future of your team and your company.