Building Trust by Practicing What You Preach

The Power of “Said/Did” — A Simple Framework That Builds Trust and Drives Results One of the most impactful lessons I’ve learned in my career came from a leader named Todd. Todd had a way of simplifying key ideas into powerful principles that stuck. He didn’t just lead with clarity—he inspired it in others. One of those lessons is what he called “Said/Did.” The concept is simple on the surface: 👉 You say what you’re going to do. 👉 Then you do it. That’s it. But when practiced consistently, it becomes a game-changer—for your own growth, your reputation, and the success of your team. ⸻ Why It Matters In leadership and in life, trust is currency. People notice when your actions align with your words. “Said/Did” builds that trust over time. It creates a culture of accountability without ever having to use the word. When a leader or individual contributor consistently follows through on what they say—whether it’s a commitment to a project, support for a team member, or a change in direction—it sets a tone for others. It says: We follow through here. We mean what we say. And when teams adopt this mindset, it’s not just about holding each other accountable. It’s about building belief—in each other, in the mission, and in the possibility of success. ⸻ What It Looks Like in Practice • You say you’re going to meet with a cross-functional partner this week to move a blocker? Do it. • You commit to giving your team an update on a new strategic direction? Deliver it on time. • You state a goal—professionally or personally? Show measurable progress. Over time, the gap between “said” and “did” becomes the true measure of credibility and influence. People start to see you as dependable. That’s not flashy leadership—but it’s the kind that scales, sustains, and strengthens teams. ⸻ My Challenge to You Think about your last week or even just the last few days. Where did you say something—and then follow through? Where might there be a gap between intent and action? What would change if your team embraced “said/did” as a norm? Thanks to Todd, this small phrase has become a big part of how I lead—and how I help others grow. It’s one of many lessons he passed on, and I’m grateful for the clarity it brings. Let’s keep it simple. Say it. Do it. Repeat. That’s how you grow trust—and impact.

Trust doesn't come from your accomplishments. It comes from quiet moves like these: For years I thought I needed more experience, achievements, and wins to earn trust. But real trust isn't built through credentials. It's earned in small moments, consistent choices, and subtle behaviors that others notice - even when you think they don't. Here are 15 quiet moves that instantly build trust 👇🏼 1. You close open loops, catching details others miss ↳ Send 3-bullet wrap-ups after meetings. Reliability builds. 2. You name tension before it gets worse ↳ Name what you sense: "The energy feels different today" 3. You speak softly in tense moments ↳ Lower your tone slightly when making key points. Watch others lean in. 4. You stay calm when others panic, leading with stillness ↳ Take three slow breaths before responding. Let your calm spread. 5. You make space for quiet voices ↳ Ask "What perspective haven't we heard yet?", then wait. 6. You remember and reference what others share ↳ Keep a Key Details note for each relationship in your phone. 7. You replace "but" with "and" to keep doors open ↳ Practice "I hear you, and here's what's possible" 8. You show up early with presence and intention ↳ Close laptop, turn phone face down 2 minutes before others arrive. 9. You speak up for absent team members ↳ Start with "X made an important point about this last week" 10. You turn complaints into possibility ↳ Replace "That won't work" with "Let's experiment with..." 11. You build in space for what really matters ↳ Block 10 min buffers between meetings. Others will follow. 12. You keep small promises to build trust bit by bit ↳ Keep a "promises made" note in your phone. Track follow-through. 13. You protect everyone's time, not just your own ↳ End every meeting 5 minutes early. Set the standard. 14. You ask questions before jumping to fixes ↳ Lead with "What have you tried so far?" before suggesting solutions. 15. You share credit for wins and own responsibility for misses ↳ Use "we" for successes, "I" for challenges. Watch trust grow. Your presence speaks louder than your resume. Trust is earned in these quiet moments. Which move will you practice first? Share below 👇🏼 -- ♻️ Repost to help your network build authentic trust without the struggle 🔔 Follow me Dr. Carolyn Frost for more strategies on leading with quiet impact

Trust is built through actions, not words! Trust is at the heart of any effective leadership style. I’ve found that it can make or break a team's performance, morale and overall success. Today, I want to share some insights on building and maintaining trust within your team, based on my 20+ years of experience in leadership roles. Transparency is Key: Share important updates, both good and bad. If something isn't going well, it’s better to let your team know rather than keeping them in the dark. People appreciate honesty. Open-Door Policy: Make sure you're approachable. If team members feel they can come to you with any problems or suggestions, you’re on the right track. Be Consistent: Try to treat everyone fairly and keep your promises. If people know what to expect from you, they're more likely to trust you. Acknowledge Mistakes: We're all human... we all make mistakes. Owning up to them shows maturity and reliability, two qualities that help build trust. Provide Feedback: Positive or constructive, feedback helps team members know where they stand and how they can improve. It's a two-way street... encourage them to provide you with feedback too. Tip: Always use Positive Reinforcement when giving feedback... don't make it all about the individuals shortcomings. Empower Your Team: Delegating tasks or responsibilities not only shows you trust your team's skills but also encourages their own development. The sense of ownership they get from it often leads to better results. Show Appreciation: Recognize and reward good work. Simple acts of appreciation can go a long way in building a positive and trusting work environment. Stick to Your Values: Integrity is crucial. If your actions reflect your words, people are more likely to trust you. Active Listening: Take the time to listen to your team's concerns and ideas. This not only fosters trust but can also provide you with valuable insights. Follow Through: If you commit to something, do everything in your power to make it happen. This confirms that you're reliable, further building trust. Leadership isn't about pretending to have all the answers. Simon Sinek - "In leadership, the quickest way to lose trust is to pretend you have all the answers. The best way to build it is to prove you don't." #LeadershipTrust #BuildingTeams #TransparencyInLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #EffectiveLeadership

I once worked with a team that was, quite frankly, toxic. The same two team members routinely derailed meeting agendas. Eye-rolling was a primary form of communication. Side conversations overtook the official discussion. Most members had disengaged, emotionally checking out while physically present. Trust was nonexistent. This wasn't just unpleasant—it was preventing meaningful work from happening. The transformation began with a deceptively simple intervention: establishing clear community agreements. Not generic "respect each other" platitudes, but specific behavioral norms with concrete descriptions of what they looked like in practice. The team agreed to norms like "Listen to understand," "Speak your truth without blame or judgment," and "Be unattached to outcome." For each norm, we articulated exactly what it looked like in action, providing language and behaviors everyone could recognize. More importantly, we implemented structures to uphold these agreements. A "process observer" role was established, rotating among team members, with the explicit responsibility to name when norms were being upheld or broken during meetings. Initially, this felt awkward. When the process observer first said, "I notice we're interrupting each other, which doesn't align with our agreement to listen fully," the room went silent. But within weeks, team members began to self-regulate, sometimes even catching themselves mid-sentence. Trust didn't build overnight. It grew through consistent small actions that demonstrated reliability and integrity—keeping commitments, following through on tasks, acknowledging mistakes. Meeting time was protected and focused on meaningful work rather than administrative tasks that could be handled via email. The team began to practice active listening techniques, learning to paraphrase each other's ideas before responding. This simple practice dramatically shifted the quality of conversation. One team member later told me, "For the first time, I felt like people were actually trying to understand my perspective rather than waiting for their turn to speak." Six months later, the transformation was remarkable. The same team that once couldn't agree on a meeting agenda was collaboratively designing innovative approaches to their work. Conflicts still emerged, but they were about ideas rather than personalities, and they led to better solutions rather than deeper divisions. The lesson was clear: trust doesn't simply happen through team-building exercises or shared experiences. It must be intentionally cultivated through concrete practices, consistently upheld, and regularly reflected upon. Share one trust-building practice that's worked well in your team experience. P.S. If you’re a leader, I recommend checking out my free challenge: The Resilient Leader: 28 Days to Thrive in Uncertainty  https://lnkd.in/gxBnKQ8n

Trust builds businesses. Lack of it? Kills them quietly. I’ve seen it firsthand in the businesses I coach: You don’t need to shout louder. You need to build deeper trust. Because trust is what transforms: → Visibility into credibility → Content into clients → Buzz into business that lasts And it’s built on what I call the 4 Cs: 1/ Competence → Share insight that moves people, not just fills space. → Give them the how, not just pretty frameworks. → It’s not about being impressive. It’s about being impactful. → Let them feel your expertise before they ever buy. Your clients don’t want more information. They want someone who helps them act. 2/ Conviction → Say what you actually believe. → It’s not about being louder. It’s about being clearer. → People don’t trust experts who play it safe. → Speak to what matters, not just what’s trending. The more grounded I am in what I stand for, the more naturally the right people show up. 3/ Credibility → Story over spotlight. → Teach through what you’ve lived, not just learned. → Share the scars and the solutions. → Position yourself as the guide, not the hero. Your story isn’t baggage. It’s your best trust-building asset, when you own it. 4/ Consistency → Show up even when it’s quiet. → Let your presence build predictability. → Brands are built in patterns, not one-off posts. → Create a rhythm that makes people say: “I knew you’d say that and I trust it.” It’s not about going viral. It’s about becoming recognisable. Reliable. Respected. Because trust isn’t built by chance. It’s built by design and by choice. PS: What’s your focus this quarter? -More reach -Or more resonance? I’d love to hear where you’re at. ♻️Repost to help others build trust

If your team thinks you always need to be right, they’ll never show you where you’re wrong. That means: You’ll miss what’s broken. You’ll repeat bad decisions. You’ll protect your image instead of improving your judgement. This is the silent cost of false certainty in leadership. The paradox is that the leaders we trust most aren’t the ones who always have answers. They’re the ones willing to 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴, especially from the people closest to the work. That means: • Saying “I don’t know” when it’s true • Asking “What would you do differently?” before locking in a decision • Apologising without defending your ego with a “but…” Trust is built in the moments where you stop performing and start listening. Shift your mindset: → From “I have to be right” to “We have to get it right.” → From “I need to look strong” to “I need to stay curious.” → From “What will they think?” to “What do they need?” Trust-building habits I’ve seen transform teams: 1. Name the elephant. If something feels off in the room, call it. “I’m sensing some hesitation. What haven’t we factored in?” 2. Share your learning. When you tell your team what 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 working on, you give them permission to grow too. 3. Ask the scary question. “What am I missing?” It’s a small sentence that communicates “I value your critical thinking, not your compliance.” Great leaders don’t eliminate doubt. Rather, they model how to move through it with humility. Yet I still meet leaders who erroneously confuse humility with weakness. In many cases, their "bullet-proof" posture alienates their teams. The truth is that genuine humility paired with competence will turn you into the kind of leader people want to follow. ___________ High-functioning doesn't mean high capacity. I help leaders close the gap. DM me to explore more.

In my experience, trust isn’t just given, it’s earned through consistent, intentional actions. Trust is the bedrock of any high-performing team, and without it, collaboration and innovation suffer. Here are some key behaviors that build trust in action: 📣 Deliver on Promises: Always follow through on your commitments. Reliability and consistency in meeting deadlines and fulfilling obligations show your team they can count on you. 📣 Communicate Transparently: Open and honest communication fosters trust. Share information freely, admit mistakes, and keep your team informed about changes and decisions. 📣 Show Empathy: Understand and respect your colleagues' perspectives and emotions. Being genuinely empathetic and supportive strengthens relationships and builds trust. 📣 Give Credit Where It’s Due: Recognize and celebrate the contributions and achievements of others. Acknowledging the hard work and successes of your team members builds a culture of trust and mutual respect. 📣 Be Authentic: Be yourself and show vulnerability. Authenticity helps others see you as trustworthy and relatable, fostering deeper connections. 📣 Listen Actively: Truly listen to what others have to say without interrupting or judging. Active listening demonstrates respect and shows that you value their input. 📣 Maintain Integrity: Always act ethically and stand by your principles, even when it’s difficult. Integrity is a cornerstone of trust. What behaviors have you found most effective in building trust within your team? Share your experiences and insights below! ---------- Hey, I'm Kevin, I am the founder of KEVRA: The Culture Company and provide daily posts and insights to help transform organizational culture and leadership. ➡️ Follow for more ♻️ Repost to share with others (or save for later) 🔗 Visit kevraconsulting.com to learn more

Building a high-performing team isn’t about fancy titles or big speeches—it’s about trust. Without trust, you’ll always struggle to lead. With trust, your team will go above and beyond for you. So how do you build real trust? Here’s what I’ve learned: ✅ Keep your promises. If you say you’ll do something, DO IT—every single time. ✅ Be transparent. People respect honesty, even when the truth is tough. ✅ Give credit, take responsibility. A true leader takes the blame when things go wrong and gives recognition when things go right. ✅ Lead by example. Never ask your team to do something you wouldn’t do yourself. If you focus on these, your team won’t just work for you—they’ll believe in you. What’s one leadership lesson that helped you build trust? ----------------- Hi, I'm Johnny. I'm a veteran business owner. I help high income earners break the golden handcuffs and take control of their finances.