The Two Kinds of Trust Every Leader Needs

You can have the best product, the boldest idea, or the most polished pitch. But if people don’t trust you, none of it matters.

Trust is the invisible thread that holds relationships, teams, and businesses together. It’s also incredibly fragile. It is earned slowly, lost quickly, and always being evaluated.

So how do you build it?

Two Types of Trust

1. Trust in the Journey

This is the kind of trust that says, “I see how you operate, and I know I won’t be surprised.”
It’s built through consistency, transparency, and clear communication.

Think Starbucks, or any reliable franchise for that matter. You trust that your experience will be familiar, delivered the same way, every time. And if something goes wrong, you expect it to be made right. That reliability becomes a form of comfort.

In business, this kind of trust grows when our clients feel looped in, informed, and respected – even when plans change. It’s the trust built along the way, not just at the finish line.

2. Trust in the Outcome

This runs deeper. It’s the kind of trust where someone says, “It will be taken care of,” and you don’t even think to follow up. You’re not tracking progress because you’re confident in the result.

Pixar has earned this level of trust. You don’t wonder if their next film will be good. You expect it to be. That’s creative equity built through years of consistent delivery.

This is the kind of trust that creates space for growth. It frees your people (client, team, family) to focus elsewhere, because they know you’ve got it.

Building trust is just as much about how we show up, as it is about what we leave behind.

Why It Matters

Warren Buffett once said:

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

When you lose sight of the importance of trust, you can fall from grace quickly.

In the events world, there’s a painful reminder:
You’re only as good as your last show.

Trust isn’t a single promise. It’s a pattern.
Just like excellence, it’s not just an outcome. It’s a behavior.

And it needs to be always on.

Your Turn

Think about your work this week with your team, your clients, your customers.
Are you building trust in the journey? Or just in the outcome? Could you build both?

If you’re not sure, try reframing:
If the roles were reversed, would I feel confident in the experience I’m creating?

That’s usually a good place to start.

(And a great place to lead from.)

🔗 Connect with me at linkedin.com/in/scottschoeneberger.