Strategies to Reward Trustworthy Behavior

As a therapist, people literally paid me to make them uncomfortable. That might sound backwards, but any good therapist creates a safe space for people to process the most uncomfortable things—shame, fear, failure, grief. We earn that permission by proving we're trustworthy enough to handle it. The same dynamic powers high-performing teams. Most teams confuse psychological safety with comfort. They think it means avoiding hard conversations or softening feedback. (Spoiler Alert: that's just conflict avoidance wearing a name tag.) Real psychological safety means people can challenge ideas, admit mistakes, and disagree openly—without fear of humiliation or retaliation. It's not about protecting feelings. It's about protecting truth-telling. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫: Google's Project Aristotle found psychological safety was the #1 predictor of high-performing teams. Not talent. Not resources. Not the number of whiteboards in the conference room. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐭: 1. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬. Start meetings with "What are we missing?" or "Who disagrees?" Don't just tolerate dissent—make it part of the culture. 2. 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞. When something goes wrong, ask "What can we learn?" before "Who's responsible?" Your response to failure teaches people whether honesty is safe. 3. 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐯𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭. Share your own uncertainties and mistakes before asking others to. Leaders who admit "I don't know" or "I screwed this up" give everyone else permission to be human too. 4. 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧. Challenge thinking aggressively while respecting people completely. "I have concerns about that direction" opens dialogue. "That's a stupid idea" opens LinkedIn job searches. 5. 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞. When someone speaks up with bad news, thank them publicly. When someone admits a mistake early, celebrate the integrity. What gets recognized gets repeated. (I need to remember this with my kids) The uncomfortable truth? Building psychological safety requires more courage than avoiding it. It means having harder conversations earlier. It means tolerating short-term discomfort for long-term trust. It means being the kind of leader people can be honest with—even when that honesty stings. That's not "being nice." That's being effective. Q: What's one way you've seen psychological safety (or the lack of it) impact team performance? #psychologicalSafety #leadership #workplaceculture 💡 Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the most overhyped, underutilized, and misused skill. I partner with leaders and teams to do the deeper work that elevates their EQ to create psychological safety and agency. Because every day we’re peopling—and we can people better.

The "high performer vs. high trust" dilemma isn't really a dilemma. Here's what smart leaders know: Trust multiplies performance. Performance without trust divides teams. 3 steps to build both: 1. Define success holistically ↳ Track impact, not just output ↳ Measure team health, not just metrics ↳ Value how results are achieved 2. Address trust breaches immediately ↳ Don't wait for performance reviews ↳ Make psychological safety non-negotiable ↳ Show your team what matters most 3. Reward trustworthy high performers ↳ Celebrate those who lift others ↳ Promote based on total impact ↳ Make values visible in leadership Because here's the truth: A toxic high performer isn't really a high performer. They're borrowing from tomorrow's success to pay for today's results. Build trust first. Performance will follow. Your culture depends on it. ___ 👋 Hi, I'm Sharon Grossman! I help organizations reduce turnover. ♻️ Repost to support your network. 🔔 Follow me for leadership, burnout, and retention strategies

Most teams aren’t unsafe— they’re afraid of what honesty might cost.👇 A confident team isn’t always a safe team. Real safety feels like trust without fear Psychological safety isn’t about being nice. It’s about building an environment where truth can exist — without penalty. Where people speak up because they believe they’ll be heard, Not just to be loud. Here’s how to create a space where honesty doesn’t feel risky: 10 Ways to Foster Psychological Safety in Your Team 1️⃣ Acknowledge mistakes openly ↳ Normalize imperfection so everyone feels safe owning up. 2️⃣ Ask for feedback on your own performance ↳ Leaders go first. 3️⃣ Celebrate questions, not just answers ↳ Curiosity signals trust. 4️⃣ Pause for the quiet voices ↳ “We haven’t heard from X yet. What do you think?” 5️⃣ Replace blame with ‘Let’s find the cause’ ↳ Shift from finger-pointing to problem-solving. 6️⃣ Speak last in discussions ↳ Let others lead; you’ll hear their raw perspectives. 7️⃣ Reinforce confidentiality ↳ Discuss ideas without fear they’ll be shared publicly. 8️⃣ Encourage respectful dissent ↳ Conflicting views spark creativity. 9️⃣ Admit you don’t know ↳ Authenticity paves the way for others to do the same. 🔟 Offer thanks for honest feedback ↳ Show appreciation for candor, even if it stings. 1️⃣1️⃣ Set clear expectations for respectful communication ↳ Clarity creates comfort and consistency. 1️⃣2️⃣ Create space for personal check-ins, not just work updates ↳ Human connection builds trust faster than status updates. 1️⃣3️⃣ Invite rotating team members to lead meetings ↳ Empowering others signals trust and grows confidence. 1️⃣4️⃣ Support team members who take thoughtful risks ↳ Reward courage even when outcomes aren’t perfect. 1️⃣5️⃣ Recognize effort and growth, not just outcomes ↳ Celebrate the process, not just the win. Psychological safety doesn’t grow from good intentions, It grows from repeated proof that honesty matters more than perfection. ❓ Which one will you try first? Let me know in the comments. ♻️ Repost to help your network create safer, more trusting workplaces. 👋 I write posts like this every day at 9:30am EST. Follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) so you don't miss the next one.

TRUST is the currency of leadership. But here’s what most people get wrong: It’s not earned in all-hands meetings or mission statements. It’s built - and broken - in the small, everyday moments. According to research from Harvard and Edelman, trust is now the #1 leadership trait employees seek, even above competence. It directly impacts engagement, retention, and innovation. Yet trust isn’t a trait you’re born with. It’s a practice. A presence. A series of micro-signals we send - intentionally or not. So if you want to lead with integrity and influence, start here: 12 Micro-Habits that quietly build trust every day: 🔹 1. Follow through on small promises Trust starts where your word meets action - especially in the little things. 🔹 2. Acknowledge mistakes (fast) Owning your slip-ups models humility and psychological safety. 🔹 3. Share your reasoning, not just your decisions Transparency builds trust far faster than authority. 🔹 4. Praise people behind their backs Your leadership legacy is built when no one’s watching. 🔹 5. Ask for feedback before giving it It signals self-awareness and invites openness in return. 🔹 6. Be early Reliability is one of the fastest ways to earn respect. 🔹 7. Listen without interrupting Trust grows in silence. Listening is your superpower. 🔹 8. Stay kind under pressure Stress doesn't excuse behavior - it reveals character. 🔹 9. Admit when you don’t know Certainty is overrated. Honesty builds more credibility. 🔹 10. Give credit freely Shine the light outwards. Recognition builds trust across teams. 🔹 11. Keep confidences People open up where they feel safe - not scrutinized. 🔹 12. Revisit broken promises Integrity isn’t perfection. It’s making things right, even late. Trust isn’t a single act. It’s a rhythm. A reputation. A relationship you build through consistency. And here’s the good news: It’s not about being charismatic, extroverted, or perfect. It’s about being intentional - moment by moment. Which habit do you already practice? Which one could use more attention right now? 👇 I’d love to hear what resonates. 📌 For more such ideas, check out my book - The Conscious Choice ➡️ Repost if you believe trust is the #1 currency of leadership ➕ Follow Bhavna Toor for more

Want to Build Trust in Leadership? Start with immediate Recognition. Building trust is the foundation of great leadership and doing business. But did you know that how quickly you recognise someone’s achievements can make all the difference? Neuroscientific research shows that recognition has the most profound impact on trust when it happens immediately after a goal is met. When we acknowledge achievements right away, we tap into the brain's reward systems, reinforcing positive behavior and strengthening relationships with our team members. When recruiting leaders, it’s always interesting to understand not only how they motivate, but also how they build trust with their teams. Giving timely recognition is certainly one way to do that. ⏱ Why Timing Matters: Dopamine Release: Immediate recognition triggers the release of dopamine, enhancing satisfaction and encouraging continued high performance. Reinforcement of Positive Behavior: When recognition is timely, it clearly links the achievement to the behavior, making it more likely that the desired actions will be repeated. Building Trust: Prompt acknowledgment fosters a sense of fairness and reliability, both essential to establishing and maintaining trust. All of this has got me really interested in neuroplasticity as well—more on that once I finish reading! 😅 So let’s not wait for annual reviews to recognise performance. By celebrating achievements as they happen, we not only motivate our teams but also build stronger, trust-based workplaces. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you practice immediate recognition as a leader?