The Impact of Trust

Bruce E. Brown
www.proactivecoaching.info
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The Importance of Trust on Teams
• “Trust men and the will be true to you. Treat
them greatly and they will show themselves
great.” Emerson
• “Mistrust doubles the cost of doing business”
John Whitney, Columbia Business School
• “In leadership, there is no word more
important than trust” Coach K
• Trust builds – lack of trust destroys
 Low Trust Teams
• Feeling of no influence = disengagement
• Division – sub groups
• Looking out for yourself
• Wasted time
• Slow to believe
• Lots of excuses
• Low energy
 High Trust Teams
• Easy communication
• Loyalty
• Sharing credit
• Engagement
• Trust their training
• High accountability
• Lots of energy
• Fearless competitors
How trust impacts your performance
• Trust is freeing… It allows the athlete to focus on
performing to his/her best and not on the possible
REACTION of the coach.
• Trust makes all the difference in an athlete’s ability to
perform. When you trust your coach entirely, you are
able to compete fearlessly; knowing that your coach
is going to do everything they can to put you in a
position to be successful. Lack of trust leads to
hesitation, which leads to poor performance.
• All the difference. With Trust, everything is possible .
 Why Coaches are Trusted #1
PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION
• Your technical knowledge
• Your ability to teach it
• Your coaching philosophy and style
 Professional Preparation
Trusted Leaders:
1. Have a strong coaching philosophy
2. Never stop learning
3. Have a plan
4. Can teach
5. Can motivate
6. Understand how to build a team
 Professional Preparation
Trusted Coaches:
7. Develop a successful track record
8. Clear expectations
9. Are secure people
10. Are Workers
11. Have a style that encourages fearless
competition
 Athletes on Professional Style
• Regardless of how nice they are, the coach has to know what
they are doing – lack of ability cannot be hidden from even an
average athlete.
• I trusted those coaches that were honest, fair, had the
knowledge, came prepared everyday and could really teach it
in a way that could make us get better. Also they knew how to
build us into a team regardless of our abilities.
• When players see their coach demonstrate good
temperament, judgment, management and motivation, (a
positive coaching style) they respond. When their style
promotes respect, you are generally willing to trust them.
 Why Coaches are Trusted #2
PERSONAL CARE
1. Be careful with your words
2. Be loyal
3. Be genuinely interested
4. Give away credit
5. Be accountable
6. Be a straight talker
“In everybody’s life, at some time our inner fire
goes out. It is then burst into flame by an
encounter with and human being. We should
all be thankful for those people who rekindle
the inner spirit.”
Albert Einstein
 Athletes on Personal Care
• I think the essence of “trust” between coach and athlete is
similar to that within a parent-child relationship. First and
foremost, the athlete sees the coach as open and accepting of
him/her as a person. Not only as an athlete, but a whole
person. It blends consistency with structure (limits) and love
(warmth and affection).
• If you know a coach loves and cares about you, and respects
you as a person, it is easy to trust them. Kids are pretty
forgiving too. When you truly trust a coach, they can mess it
up a few times and not lose your trust.
• I always trusted coaches that I knew cared about me as an
individual and were honest with me about Everything!
 Why Coaches are Trusted #3

PURPOSEFUL, CONSISTENT
CHARACTER
• “My most trusted coaches were
confident, composed, consistent, high
character people. I wanted to become
him”
 Integrity
• An unshakeable set of principles
• Allows you to act out your convictions
• Your sense of honor is greater than any
situation or temptation
• Keeping commitments
• Provides instant belief
Athletes on the Coaches Character
• Kids know when they are being lied to and it is almost
impossible to win them back once that trust has been
betrayed. Kids appreciate honest feedback, even if it isn’t
what they want to hear.
• If a coach can demonstrate to an athlete over time that they
will consistently hold true to their core principles then an
athlete will grow to trust them with everything they have.
• Honesty drove my ability to trust. When a coach was truthful
with messages that were directed toward the team and
individual it created an atmosphere of trust.
• I trusted coaches who had high standards for us and who
followed their own rules.
 The Moment of Swing
“In rowing there comes a moment on great
crews that transcends anything the individual
could have ever accomplished on their own.
All eight oars in the water together… the
synchronization almost perfect. In that
moment the boat seem to lift right out of the
water. Oarsmen call that “the moment of
swing”… a boat did no have swing unless
everyone was putting out in exact timing. It
allowed you to trust.” David Halberstam
 Does Trust Exist on Your Team?
1. Clear standards and expectations
2. Listen first
3. Talk straight
4. Demonstrate respect
5. Practice accountability
6. Be loyal
 Does Trust Exist on Your Team?
7. Deliver results and share the credit
8. Keep learning and improving
9. Confront with care, respect and love
10. Keep commitments
11. Model Integrity
12. Extend your trust
“Luck favors the team that trusts
each other.” Coach K

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