Trust: The Quiet Engine of Teams

Trust is the quiet engine of every workplace—until it breaks.

A colleague recently shared a phrase with me that captured this perfectly:

“Keep your receipts.”

Not as a threat, but as a reflection of what happens when trust begins to erode.

When conversations shift from open dialogue to follow-up emails and careful clarity.

When people start documenting not out of pettiness, but out of protection.

What I’ve learned is this:

People don’t keep receipts to catch someone.

They keep them to avoid being caught off guard.

When trust slips, clarity steps in to compensate.

And while clarity is healthy, it’s not a substitute for trust.

Healthy teams:

• Communicate Openly
• Honor Commitments
• Assume Positive Intent
• Hold Each Other Accountable
  

Trust isn’t a “soft skill.” It’s a strategic capability that powers performance, resilience, and psychological safety.

Leaders don’t rebuild trust through grand gestures.

They rebuild it through consistency, follow-through, and the small everyday moments that show people they can rely on you.