Building trust through subtext

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

One bad conversation can stall a deal.  (Let's fix that.) Here's the trap even the best can fall into: ✅ You said, “Can I get 15 minutes?” ❌ They heard, “You’re just a name on my calendar.” ✅ You said, “Here’s our pricing page.” ❌ They heard, “You’d better be ready to commit.” ✅ You said, “Do you have any questions?” ❌ They heard, “I’m done talking, it's your turn to buy.” In client development, tone is strategy. And the difference between pressure and partnership? Just a few words. Because the real challenge isn’t getting time  with a client. It’s making that time count. Here are 12 proven phrases to build trust  (without sounding like a sales rep): 1. “How have things been going with [X]?” → Feels personal, not transactional. 2. “What’s your thinking around [this topic] these days?” → Opens a door, not a pitch. 3. “What would success look like if everything went right?” → Focuses on their goals, not gaps. 4. “What’s one thing you’d love to improve in 90 days?” → Specific, hopeful, and actionable. 5. “What feels risky or fuzzy about this?” → Makes doubt safe to share. 6. “Want to sketch some options together?” → Co-creates instead of prescribes. 7. “Want me to mock up a few paths forward?” → Shows flexibility, not a fixed pitch. 8. “Want to hear how others tackled this?” → Adds value, zero pressure. 9. “What would need to shift to make this a priority?” → Respects their timeline, invites partnership. 10. “Would a custom version be more helpful?” → Tailors the next step to them. 11. “Great point, can we unpack that together?” → Builds trust through collaboration. 12. “What’s the best way I can support you right now?” → Puts their needs first, signals partnership. These phrases do more than sound better. They feel better. Because they reflect how great BD actually works: 👉 With empathy 👉 With curiosity 👉 With clients, not at them Try one this week. It could turn a stalled deal into a deep conversation. Which one will you lead with? ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don’t feel like selling. Want the full infographic? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e3qRVJRf 

Want to transform your team without changing a single org chart? Start by listening. Really listening. In a world that rewards speed, deep listening is an act of leadership, and love. When we listen beyond the words, we hear: 👂🏽the hesitation behind the “I’m fine” 👂🏽the fatigue inside the “I’ve got this” 👂🏽the truth that wasn’t quite said This kind of listening builds trust, psychological safety, and resilience. 🔹 Active listening builds connection: Don’t multitask. Reflect what you hear. Stay present. 🔹 Empathetic listening deepens understanding: Tune into emotion. Validate without solving. 🔹 Generative listening (Scharmer): Creates space where new insights emerge—for both of you. 🧠 Behavioral science backs this up: When people feel deeply heard, their brains release oxytocin—the trust hormone. Empathetic leaders reduce anxiety and build more open, courageous teams. (See: Journal of Applied Psychology + Amy Edmondson’s work on Psychological Safety) Next meeting, try this: 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞. 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭. Watch what unfolds when people feel truly heard. As Stephen Covey said: "Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply." 👉 I break this down in more detail in my latest blog post: 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 #ICW2025 --- 📌 Want more content like this? Follow me Andrew Calvert, PCC Follow Serendipity Engine

Had a call last week where someone said: “𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑦 𝑎𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒.” But I asked one question that stopped the conversation: “Are you trustworthy 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ?” Silence! See, I get it. Trust is what every personal brand expert preaches. But trust isn’t built on storytelling. 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲. On consistency. On whether 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘, not your posts, speaks for you. You don’t build trust with aesthetics. You build it with: → Sharp response times → Dead-honest feedback → Not overpromising → Showing up even when there’s no performance to give In short: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟! 📍If someone has to read 30 posts to trust you — they won’t. The best founders I know? You trust them in the first 5 minutes. Because nothing in their voice, behaviour, or body language is trying to convince you. It’s just .... aligned. Want trust? Talk less about it. Make sure 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 does the work when you’re 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑚. 💬 What’s 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 you do that builds trust behind the scenes? 👇 Drop it. Or better yet — don’t. Just keep doing it.

These 4 words can make anyone anxious: "We need to talk." The problem isn't having hard conversations: It's how most people approach them. I used to wing these conversations and wonder why they went sideways. Then I studied how the top 1% of leaders handle conflict. The difference? They have a system. Most leaders wing difficult conversations and create more problems. Smart leaders use proven frameworks that build trust while addressing issues. Here's the approach that transformed my leadership: ✅ Phase 1 - Foundation Setting: "Thanks for your patience. I've thought things through so we can have a productive conversation." This immediately signals you're not reactive: You are thoughtful and solution-focused. ✅ Phase 2 - Trust Building: "I trust you and that's why I'm being straight with you." You lead with respect, making it clear this isn't about their worth as a person. ✅ Phase 3 - Context Setting: "I want to be transparent. This impacts our success." Connect the conversation to shared goals, not personal frustrations. ✅ Phase 4 - Reality Acknowledgment: "This might be hard, but I want us to work through it together." You acknowledge difficulty while committing to partnership. ✅ Phase 5 - Problem Focus: "Something's affecting your results. Let's handle it together." Action-oriented language that invites collaboration. ✅ Phase 6 - Preparation Time: "Let's meet tomorrow to review data. Bring your take." Respectful timing that allows for thoughtful responses. ✅ Phase 7 - Solution Mode: "We've been falling behind. How can we fix this together?" Partnership language focused on forward movement. The result? Conversations that could have ended relationships actually strengthened them. Hard conversations need not take a negative turn. They are investments in better outcomes. What conversation framework will you try first? ♻️ Repost this to help leaders navigate difficult conversations strategically. 🔔 Follow Dr. Oliver Degnan for more strategies on Burnout, Productivity and Leadership.

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

How you phrase a question can have a huge impact on your ability to build trust and encourage people to open up and be honest with you. Here are six questions that can help you build trust.  1. Can I ask you for some advice? Being vulnerable enough to ask someone for advice is a surefire way to build trust while sending the message that you value that person. (And asking for advice feels less formal than asking for "feedback.") 2. Tell me more...? This dirt simple question is one of the most powerful ones I pose in my coaching conversations when it comes to creating a safe space for people to open up. The key is to demonstrate that you're really listening. And don't rush it! Be comfortable with the silence and give the person some space to think on it. 3. What do you see that I can't see? This is a great question that demonstrates a willingness to hear other perspectives. It also acknowledges that you, like everyone, isn't privy to all the facts and that you may have some blind spots where certain issues are concerned.  4. What do you expect from me? This is particularly powerful if you are in a supervisory position, but it's a great one for all of us to ask everyone we work with. 5. What does support look like for you? Asking this question builds trust because it implies a partnership mindset. It suggests you aren't going to abandon them, and it recognizes that everyone needs different types and degrees of support.  6. Is there anything I can start doing or stop doing that would make this easier for you? This question again implies a partnership approach to solving an issue and a willingness to change on your part.   What about you? What questions have worked well for you to build trust with a client, colleague, or employee? Please, tell me more... (see what I did there?)