3 Ways Leaders Build Trust to Increase Employee Engagement

The Best Leaders Build Trust
The most effective leaders know that trust is the backbone of every high performing team. They cultivate mutual respect, encourage productive conflict, and reinforce a culture where responsibility and accountability are nonnegotiable. When trust is strong, collaboration accelerates, employee engagement rises, and performance improves. High performers, in particular, gravitate toward environments where people communicate openly, support one another, and feel safe taking reasonable risks to learn, grow, and deliver.

A Lack of Trust
Organizational culture assessment data makes the consequences of low trust unmistakable. When trust erodes, teams retreat into silos. Instead of aligning around shared goals, individuals work independently — often duplicating efforts, working at cross-purposes, or withholding information that others need. Confusion over roles and responsibilities increases, cooperation diminishes, and interpersonal friction becomes the norm. Even the most talented individuals cannot overcome a team dynamic built on skepticism and self-protection. Without foundational trust, a team will never achieve its true potential.

3 Ways Leaders Build Trust to Increase Engagement
Can you fix a team that is suffering from a lack of trust? Yes, if the team leader is truly committed to improving the team environment and operating principles.   Based upon feedback from over two decades of employee engagement training, here are three ways leaders build trust to increase Employee Engagement:

1. Set the Example
   Clearly define and agree upon goals and accountabilities, roles and responsibilities, processes, team norms, and success metrics. Ensure full understanding of and commitment to expectations and then let the team work to fulfill them without micromanaging them. Show your trust in their abilities by allowing them to make small mistakes so they learn and grow.

   The best leaders choose the right people and then trust them to do their job well while “having their back.”

2. Show That You Care
   Take the time to know your team as individuals and demonstrate genuine empathy. Understand what drives them, what excites them about their work, and what inspires them outside the office. What are their passions, interests, and personal goals?

   Approach every conversation with authentic curiosity and listen actively. By practicing empathy consistently, you not only build trust but also create meaningful connections that empower your team to pursue both their personal and professional aspirations. When employees feel seen and understood, engagement and commitment naturally follow.

3. Share Information
   Actively involve your team by sharing as much information about the business’ plan for the future as you can. Our organizational alignment research found that the timely flow of information differentiated high from low performing teams.  Sharing information is one important way to show that you value their contribution and that you trust them to act in the best interests of the team and the organization.
   

The Bottom Line
The best leaders build trust to increase engagement and performance by modeling the way, caring about their team, and ensuring the timely flow of information.  Is your team set up for success?

To learn more about how the best leaders build trust, download 29 More Ways for Leaders to Build Trust According to Employees