5 Steps to Build a Brilliant Team No. 1 It Begins with Trust

“Trust is like Oxygen - we don’t notice it when it’s there, but when it’s not - everything feels harder.”

We often take trust for granted in healthy teams, but the moment it starts to erode, we find ourselves in a very different environment - where even simple interactions and decisions feel like difficult.

That’s why trust sits at the heart of Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team model. Without trust, teams don’t just move slower — they lose their ability to think, act and grow together.

Over the next five blogs, I’m going to explore each of the five elements of Lencioni’s model — but with a twist.

A Quick Intro to Lencioni’s 5 Dysfunctions of a Team Model

Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team model is one of the most widely used frameworks in leadership and team development. First introduced in his 2002 book of the same name, the model outlines five core issues that undermine effective teamwork: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.

"If you get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time."

Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

It’s often shown as a pyramid — with trust as the essential foundation on which everything else is built. The model has been used in businesses of all sizes and sectors, from startups to global corporations, and continues to be a go-to reference for leaders who want to build stronger, more connected, high-performing teams.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

In this series, I’m using Lencioni’s model not to dwell on dysfunction, but rather than focusing on what goes wrong in teams (we’ve all seen plenty of that), I’m going to flip the lens to explore what good looks like — and how to apply the ideas to your team to make it happy, motivated, productive and succesful.

Here’s what’s coming in this series:

1. Trust — the foundation for everything (this blog)

2. Healthy Conflict — why great teams argue well

3. Commitment — how to create clarity over consensus

4. Accountability — how to hold each other to high standards

5. Results — aligning your team around what really matters

Let’s start where every strong team starts with:

Trust.

What is Trust at Work? In teams, trust isn’t just about liking each other. It’s deeper and more practical than that. Trust means:

• You’ll do what you say you’ll do

• You’re telling me the truth

• You have the team’s best interests at heart

• You care about more than just yourself

When trust is missing, conversations feel more guarded. Decisions take longer. Feedback feels risky. Ideas stay unsaid.

Lencioni talks about vulnerability-based trust — the kind of trust where people feel safe enough to say:

• “I need help.”

• “I got that wrong.”

• “I don’t know the answer.”

Two Types of Trust (and Why You Need Both)

Think about trust in two ways:

1. Trust in Competence

This is the trust that comes from credibility and reliability.

• Do I trust that you know your stuff?

• Have you shown up consistently over time?

• Can I rely on you to deliver?

Credibility is about knowledge, experience and expertise.

Reliability is about showing up, keeping promises, and doing what you said you would.

2. Trust in Relationships

This is the relational side of trust — openness, integrity, fairness.

• Do I trust that you’re honest with me?

• Do I trust your intentions?

• Do I believe you care about me and the team?

When teams have both competence-based trust and relationship-based trust, they move fast, collaborate well, and have the resilience to navigate change together.

Trust is Built (or Eroded) in Every Interaction

Every single interaction we have either strengthens or weakens trust. This is the often invisible dynamic at play in teams. Over time, our experience of working with someone sets an expectation for the future.

If they deliver on their promises? Trust grows.

If they disappear when things get tough? Trust declines.

It’s that simple.

Practical Ways to Build Trust in Your Team

Here’s where it gets practical. If you’re a founder or leader, trust starts with you. People watch what you do more than what you say.

These are some of the most effective trust builders I see in great teams:

1. Be Consistent & Reliable

Make and keep promises — big and small

Show up when it matters

Communicate clearly and follow through

2. Be Vulnerable

Be honest about what you know and what you don’t

Share mistakes and learnings openly

Avoid exaggerating or covering up

3. Build Personal Connection

Get to know people beyond their role

Create space for human conversations

Show curiosity about who they are

4. Focus on the Collective

Be clear that the team’s success comes first

Role model collaboration over competition

Celebrate team wins

5. Give and Receive Feedback

Make feedback part of everyday culture

Be candid, clear and curious

Model how to receive feedback well

What Destroys Trust Fast?

Trust is hard won and easily lost. Watch out for these common trust deflators:

• People acting in self-interest over team interest

• Lack of transparency in decisions

• Unresolved personal conflicts

• Leaders avoiding hard conversations

• Broken promises

Final Thought: Trust is a Choice

Trust is the starting point for everything that makes a team work, but it’s not a given. It’s built with intention, attention, and action.

As a leader, you can’t make people trust each other. But you can create the conditions where trust is most likely to thrive. Ask yourself:

• What’s one thing I could do this week to strengthen trust in my team?

• Where might I need to rebuild or repair trust?

In the next blog in this series, I’ll explore why healthy conflict is a sign of a strong, connected team — and how to create a culture where ideas (and disagreements) can be shared safely.

Because trust isn’t about avoiding conflict — it’s about knowing we can get through it together.

Reflection Exercise: How Strong is Trust in Your Team?

Take 10 minutes to reflect on these questions — or even better, talk them through with your leadership team.

1. Where is trust strong in your team?
   Who do people naturally turn to for help?
   Where do you see openness, honesty, and healthy challenge?

2. Where might trust be fragile or under strain?
   Are there unspoken tensions, silences, or things left unsaid?
   Do people hesitate to ask for help or admit mistakes?

3. What small action could you take this week to strengthen trust?
   Could you share a learning or mistake openly?
   Ask for feedback?
   Make a commitment — and follow through?

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Need Help Building Trust in Your Team?

Trust can be built. But it takes time, intention — and sometimes a bit of outside help.

That’s where I come in.

I design and facilitate team workshops that create space for honest conversation, stronger relationships, and practical tools for working better together.

Whether your team is growing fast, navigating change, or just feeling a bit disconnected - I can help.

I design and facilitate practical, human team workshops that help people connect, communicate better, and build the trust they need to work brilliantly together.

• → Workshops rooted in insight and action.

• → Tools to build trust and healthy challenge.

• → Space for people to talk (really talk).

If you’d like to chat about how I could support your team, get in touch. Call Polly on 07966 475195 or email polly@pollyrobinson.co.uk