"I have to be able to trust you."

My daughters were practicing a dance they made up. They were practicing a complicated turn thing that also had a lot of laughing involved. And I overheard my oldest say to her sister, “I have to be able to trust you.”

I was at the other side of the kitchen and the words struck me as so true.

You have to trust your partner. Your team mates. Trust they will do the work, hold up their end, make decisions consistent with the team goals and brand. The inability to trust diminishes the team's ability to thrive. This concept has been at the heart of every team I’ve lead or been a part of.

If there is a member on the team that can’t be trusted, for what ever reason, then the entire team is weakened. I’ve seen one untrusted person go unchecked and breed distrust and anger in an entire team. It takes a strong leader to course correct that kind of situation.

I started analyzing (as I do) the context in which my daughter said this little gem. She was stating it to encourage her sister to practice the move with her. To “take it seriously.”

So, practice builds trust. My background as a Stage Manager has proved that to me time and time again. After all, that’s just what rehearsals are for. A chance for the team to build trust. To practice and build trust.

If Life was a Dream and this was my dream…

You have to practice to build trust. Practice takes time. It takes effort. It takes showing up and doing the work.

So…show up. Do the work. Make the effort. Build trust. Because as my daughter pointed out, I have to be able to trust you in order for our dance to work.