5 Ways To Build Trust Within a Team

Trust is a foundation of any high-performing team, unlocking better communication, engagement, and results. Research shows that employees at high-trust companies experience significantly less stress and higher productivity than those at low-trust organisations [1]. Building trust takes intentional effort from leaders, but the payoff is a more resilient and collaborative team. Below are five easy to implement methods to cultivate trust within your team.

1. Make It Safe To Speak Up 

A psychologically safe team is one where members feel comfortable being themselves and speaking up without fear of punishment. Research from Dr Amy Edmondson defines psychological safety as a climate of interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable expressing themselves [2]. Leaders can foster this by inviting candour and showing that differing opinions alongside individual mistakes are handled constructively without judgment. When team members feel safe to take risks and voice ideas, trust grows and the team learns faster. 

 Action step: In your next meeting, model vulnerability by admitting a mistake or owning up to doubt about an issue. This signals that it’s safe to voice uncertainty and will encourage everyone to share their concerns and ideas as well.   

2. Be Transparent

 Transparency from leadership is a powerful trust-builder. Team members are more likely to trust leaders who share information openly, provide feedback, and avoid hidden agendas [3]. Leadership researchers also suggest that openly explaining decisions and inviting questions increases trust and reduces anxiety [4]. 

 Action step: Make transparency a habit – for example, send a Friday round-up email where you share team or company news and invite questions. And in doing so consistently communicate why decisions are made to prevent misinformation and build credibility.  

3. Keep Your Promises

 Trust deepens when leaders and teammates prove themselves reliable. This means doing what you say you will do and upholding shared values. Integrity and consistency are repeatedly shown to be core drivers of trustworthiness in teams [5]. 

Action Step: Make your team’s ‘to do’ list public so everyone can see who is working on what. Keep people accountable by agreeing realistic deadlines for the tasks and ensure you complete yours (or admit why you’re unable to keep to the original deadlines).  

4. Show Empathy

 Great leaders balance results with relationships. Empathy – understanding and caring about team members’ experiences – has been shown to increase trust and collaboration on teams [7]. In organisational psychology, benevolence (demonstrating genuine concern for others’ well-being) is a key driver of interpersonal trust [5]. 

 Action Step: Build in moments of personal connection. For example, start each team meeting with a brief check-in question (non-work-related) or celebrate small wins (work achievements or personal milestones) publicly. Additionally, in one-on-one conversations, practice active listening – summarise what you have heard so the other person knows you have understood them. 

 5. Be Authentic (Keeping It Real!)

 Trust blossoms when leaders are authentic – true to their values, and willing to show some humility. Research highlights that building trust “starts with ... being transparent and authentic” [1]. This includes acknowledging your own imperfections. Vulnerability signals honesty and humanity, encouraging reciprocity in trust. [6]. 

 Action Step: Reflect on whether you have ever been ‘economical with the truth’ with anyone in an office environment. What was it that prompted you to do this? Could the result have been achieved by any other means? Authenticity starts with the truth even if that means having difficult conversations, you will become stronger for it yourself. 

 Conclusion 

Trust isn’t built overnight – it accumulates through consistent, genuine actions. By practicing these evidence-based strategies, leaders can create a supportive environment where team members feel valued and safe. Over time, a high-trust team will communicate more freely, tackle challenges with confidence, and achieve greater success together.