Lost Trust

Do I Trust Them?

How team members gain or lose my trust

Nine Foundations of Trust


1. Care: I feel they care about me and my team.

2. Affiliation: I feel connected to them and that we share many values.

3. Appreciation: I feel that my contribution is understood and valued by them.

4. Autonomy: I have the freedom to express my opinion, make decisions, and work without being micromanaged.

5. Sincerity: I believe they are transparent and honest.

6. Fairness: I feel equitably treated and that they make fair decisions.

7. Reliability (Yours): I believe they will honor the commitments they make to me.

8. Team Reliability (Through Managing Others): I believe their team will fulfill their commitments on time.

9. Capability: I believe they have the skills, decision-making capabilities and resources to fulfill their role.

1. Care: I feel they care about me and my team.

  • They dig for my underlying interests and concerns. (SLI 2.3)

  • They empathize with me and notice my emotions. (SLI 2.5)

  • They listen in a way that I feel heard. (SLI 2.6)

  • They stay present and avoid cell phone and computer distractions. (SLI 4.2)

  • They coach, challenge and support me to develop my skills and career. (SLI 7.5)

  • They do not talk negatively behind my back (no triangulation). When they have an issue, they speak directly to me. (SLI 7.7)

2. Affiliation: I feel connected to them and that we share many values.

  • They are approachable and open to critical feedback on their ideas, decisions and leadership style. Willing to learn from mistakes. (SLI 2.2)

  • They draw the quiet people out. (SLI 4.4)

  • They brainstorm with me to generate creative solutions. (SLI 4.5)

  • They motivate me to bring my best and strive for excellence. (SLI 7.1)

  • When I am failing, they offer support and resources (instead of beating me up). (SLI 7.3)

3. Appreciation: I feel that my contribution is understood and valued by them.

  • They communicate and break down the vision so that I see how I fit in. (SLI 1.2)

  • When tasks are completed, they give me helpful feedback (both positive and negative). (SLI 6.7)

  • They offer frequent and genuine appreciation for my contributions. (SLI 7.2)

  • They debrief issues. Assumes positive intent and helps me learn from mistakes. (SLI 7.4)

4. Autonomy: I have the freedom to express my opinion, make decisions, and work without being micromanaged.

  • They renegotiate priorities with me when things change. Does not pile on new objectives without reprioritizing old ones. (SLI 1.5)

  • They embrace creative conflict. Does not shy away from passionate debate. (SLI 4.3)

  • They include the right people in decision-making. (SLI 5.1)

  • They proactively inform me when impacted by decisions. (SLI 5.7)

  • They allow me to fulfill my role and make decisions without micromanaging me. (SLI 6.5)

5. Sincerity: I believe they are transparent and honest.

  • They clearly express where they stand on issues. (SLI 3.1)

  • They share their opinions and concerns, even if unpopular or lacking certainty. (SLI 3.2)

  • They address challenging issues promptly. They name  the elephant in the room. (SLI 3.4)

  • They give honest feedback. They share their perspective when they are dissatisfied with my work. (SLI 3.5)

  • They clean up issues with me. They do not harbor resentment. (SLI 3.6)

6. Fairness: I feel equitably treated and that they make fair decisions.

  • They bring curiosity and willingness to be influenced. (SLI 2.1)

  • They listen to ideas fairly, regardless of who is presenting them. (SLI 2.4)

  • They own their opinions as opinions. Does not position their opinions as facts to prove their point. (SLI 3.3)

  • They have sufficient understanding of an issue and my opinions before advocating for a specific solution. (SLI 4.6)

  • They consider my opinions and concerns before deciding. Respects my role and expertise. (SLI 5.2)

  • They make good and timely decisions. They take appropriate risks even if all the information is not available. (SLI 5.4)

7. Reliability (Yours): I believe they will honor the commitments they make to me.

  • They are clear when a decision is made and ensure full group alignment. Even if they would have made a different decision, they “disagree and commit.” (SLI 5.5)

  • They ensure commitments to me are clear, realistic, and agreed upon (who is doing what by when). (SLI 6.1)

  • They do what they say they will do. They follow up. (SLI 6.2)

  • They renegotiate when commitments are in jeopardy. They avoid surprising me with bad news or last-minute delays. (SLI 6.4)

8. Team Reliability (Through Managing Others): I believe their team will fulfill their commitments on time.

  • They establish clear next steps. (SLI 5.6)

  • They track progress on commitments and ensure completion. (SLI 6.3)

  • They hold people accountable. When commitments are missed, they discuss what went wrong and get a new commitment. (SLI 6.6)

  • They ensure the right person is in the role, moving or letting people go when it’s the wrong fit. (SLI 6.8)

9. Capability: I believe they have the skills, decision-making capabilities and resources to fulfill their role.

  • They embody and share a compelling vision of the future. (SLI 1.1)

  • They establish clear roadmaps that define the milestones & short-term future. (SLI 1.3)

  • They establish clear priorities so that I know what to work on. (SLI 1.4)

  • They establish key metrics and indicators to stay on track. (SLI 1.6)

  • They lead effective meetings. Clarifies the objectives and avoids unnecessary rabbit holes. (SLI 4.1)

  • They have a bias for action. Willing to try out ideas and see what is learned, eg. rapid prototyping. (SLI 5.3)

  • They lead effective 1-on-1’s. (SLI 7.6)

Trust and the SLI Leadership Micro-practices (45)

How team members gain or lose my trust -Do I trust them?

How people
EARN my trust

1 is not important
10 is very important

How people
LOSE my trust

1 is not important
10 is very important

CARE: I feel they care about me and my team.

AFFILIATION: I feel connected to them and that we share many values.

APPRECIATION: I feel that my contribution is understood and valued by them.

AUTONOMY: I have the freedom to express my opinion, make decisions, and work without being micromanaged.

SINCERITY: I believe they are transparent and honest.

FAIRNESS: I feel equitable treated and that they make fair decisions.

RELIABILITY (Yours): I believe they will honor the commitments they make to me.

TEAM RELIABILITY (Through Managing Others): I believe their team will fulfill their commitments on time.

CAPABILITY: I believe they have the skills, decision-making capabilities and resources to fulfill their role.