Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Demetrius “D” Parker. “D” is an inspirational speaker, workshop facilitator, and executive coach, with over 40 years of leadership experience and 10.5 of those years in local government. He’s now the founder and pragmatical leader of “Trust Leadership Collective.”
- What I’m reading: Making Team Dynamics Visible by Tang Seok Hian and Sniglets Reloaded by Nick Kittle
- What I’m listening to: The Enneagram at Work Podcast
- What I’m working on: PQ Certificate – Diving deeper into positive intelligence practice and theory
As a leadership consultant, I get asked about trust a lot; how to build it, how to repair it, and what to do when it starts to fade. It’s one of those words we throw around constantly, yet it’s rarely unpacked with intention.
Here’s what I’ve come to believe: trust is both a verb and a noun.
As a verb, it’s something we practice; how we communicate, make decisions, and show up for others. As a noun, it’s the outcome; the sense of reliability and safety that forms when those actions line up over time.
It’s hard to have the noun without practicing the verb.
The Practice Behind the Promise
Trust typically doesn’t appear in one dramatic moment, it’s built in small, steady ones.
It’s when a leader admits, “I don’t have the answer yet, but I’ll find out.” It’s when we give credit publicly or deliver feedback privately. It’s when we follow through after saying we would.
And it’s tested in the same way; when we cancel check-ins, skip follow-up, or explain decisions too late. These moments don’t always break trust outright, but they can slowly weaken its foundation.
The CHEE Model: A Lens for Practicing Trust
In my work with leaders, I often use a model that I developed, CHEE; Candor, Humility, Empathy, and Effectiveness. It’s a simple way to think about how trust comes to life in daily behaviors.
- Candor encourages truth with respect. Honest doesn’t have to mean harsh.
- Humility reminds us that leadership is a team effort. No one has all the answers.
- Empathy turns understanding into action. It’s listening to learn, not just to respond.
- Effectiveness makes it real. Consistent follow-through transforms good intentions into credibility.
These four traits don’t require perfection, they require presence.
Safety and Accountability: Two Sides of the Same Coin
The most trustworthy leaders I’ve worked with hold two things at once: psychological safety and accountability.
Safety gives people permission to speak freely. Accountability ensures that freedom leads to progress. When either one is missing, trust starts to wobble.
Putting It Into Practice
If you’re looking to strengthen trust on your team, try one simple shift this week. Ask for input before offering solutions. Follow up on a promise a little faster. Or check in after a tough meeting, not to manage, but to understand.
Then, ask yourself:
“What version of trust am I practicing right now, the verb or the noun?”
Because over time, those small, consistent choices; how you communicate, how you follow through, and how you lead help shape the environment others experience.
And that environment, when built on candor, humility, empathy, and effectiveness, becomes the kind of trust people can feel.