Four Essential

Practices for

BUILDING TRUST
Are you communicating in a way that inspires trust?
Julie Peterson Combs, Sandra Harris,
and Stacey Edmonson

eaders hold challenging positions in

todays schools. Often hired to initiate
change and increase student performance, leaders can find it difficult to
build trust with their colleagues.
Yet we know that trust is the one thing that
changes everything.1 In an organization with
high trust, when the leader says the wrong
thing or says it in the wrong way, people still
understand what was intended and give the
leader latitude to make mistakes. In contrast,
when a leader makes a mistake in a low-trust
organization, distrust of his or her intentions
leads to problems and creates a barrier to
meaningful change.
The presence of trust can enhance an organizations efforts to fulfill its mission, and the
lack of trust can constrict those efforts. Communication is a primary tool for building trust
within an organization. Here we offer four
essential guidelines to help school leaders communicate in a way that builds trust.

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EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP / APRIL 2015

1. Build trust by understanding trust.

An essential building block for a high-trust
organization is having a leader who is aware
of how his or her own behaviors may build
or tear down trust. When we asked educators
how leaders build trust, their answers revealed
three qualities that their leaders communicated
through words and actions: care, character, and
competence.2
Care. Leaders communicate care by
expressing concern for others well-being. For
example, knowing that a faculty member is
scheduled for hip surgery, a caring administrator might offer to adjust the teachers
schedule to minimize standing. Activities to
build consensus or to involve others in decision
making communicate that the leader cares
about others ideas.
Think about the leaders with whom you work.
To what extent do these leaders care about you
as a person? How does the level of care that a
leader has for you affect the way you work?
SARA TYSON/THEiSPOT

Character. The complex social problems presented in our schools provide many opportunities for leaders to demonstrate character in the
decisions they make for students and teachers
each day. Leaders have a responsibility to ensure
that students have teachers who care and the
resources necessary for learning. Dealing with
substandard conditions requires courage to stand
up and act for those who have less power.
In your organization, what do you stand for,
and what does that say about your character?
Competence. In most professional settings,
competence is a prerequisite to trust. We want to
work with leaders who have the knowledge and
skills to handle difficult situations. Competent
leaders are continual learners, improving their
practice and supporting others. They can identify
struggling teachers and provide support through
directed conversations and assigning appropriate mentors. Moreover, competent leaders

The presence of trust can enhance

an organizations efforts to
fulfill its mission, and the lack of
trust can constrict those efforts.
understand the change process and provide differentiated support for faculty members when
change happens. In schools, teachers are more
likely to trust their leaders if the leaders demonstrate competence.
Think about the leaders with whom you work.
How does their competence influence your trust
in them?

2. Build trust by monitoring

yourreactions.
As a leader, you are almost always on stage, being
watched by teachers, students, administrators, or
parents. These people often gauge their perceptions of a situation on the basis of your reaction
to it. If you panic, a sense of worry can spread
like wildfire. If you erupt in anger, that reaction
can create a culture of fear. Or perhaps you wear
a worried look that results in speculation across
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EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP / APRIL 2015

your organization about what might be wrong.

Because your words and actions set the tone for
the rest of the school, train yourself to maintain a
poker face. Know what pushes your buttons and
be aware of how you react to difficult situations.
You have probably heard the saying fake it till
you make it. Heed this advice by controlling
your reactionsincluding your voice, your
words, your facial expressions, and your body
languagein stressful situations. Practice maintaining your composure under pressure.
An important part of monitoring your
reactions is to think about how they will affect
someone else. We worked with a principal who
was known for berating teachers in his office
whenever a parent called to complain, without
gathering more information about the situation
or asking the teacher about the parents assertion.
This quick-tempered, reactionary approach
led teachers to distrust the principal and avoid
bringing their genuine concerns to his attention.
Hurtful words spoken in anger can leave a lasting
impression, even after a sincere apology.

An effective leader resists the urge

to offer opinions or recommendations
until he or she knows the entire story
and can make an informed decision.
Get the facts and then choose a calm
and calculated reaction. Dont give in
to pressure to speak before you know
what to say. Sometimes the best option
is simply to say that you will look into
the situation and follow up when you
have more information.
Know your moods and how you
come across to others when you are in
a particular state of mind. If you are
grumpy or more reactive when you are
tired, take extra steps to monitor your
reactions when you did not get enough
sleep the night before. You will certainly face days when you are in a bad
mood and want to snap at someone
who is not doing a good job. Choose
your words and reactions carefully,
and ensure that your body language
conveys a thoughtful response.
Develop a support system, perhaps
with another administrator, to share
your concerns in confidence. Those
on your support team can also help
you identify facial expressions or other
nonverbal cues that may communicate
an unintended message.

3. Build trust
by addressing concerns.

Trust-Busting Communication
Use this self-assessment to determine whether your actions are eroding
peoples trust in you.

Trust Buster 1. Not Listening.

How frequently do you . . .
n

Ask people for input, but then ignore their ideas?

Interrupt when others are talking?

Prepare your own response while others are still talking?

Trust Buster 2. Trying to Save Time at the Expense of Others.

How frequently do you . . .
n

Reprimand the entire group for the actions of a few individuals?

Fail to include all who are involved in a situation?

Address criticisms when it is most convenient for you, without

considering how the timing affects others?

Trust Buster 3. Saying One Thing, but Doing Another.

How frequently do you . . .
n

Fail to follow through with an announced plan of action?

Tell one group to do something that conflicts with what you have told
others?

Change your mind about an announced plan of action on the basis of the
most recent conversation?

Trust Buster 4. Gossiping.

How frequently do you . . .
n

Break confidences when you share with others?

Talk about others in an unkind or unfair way?

n
Most people dislike conflict, and many
of us tend to avoid confrontation if
n
possible. However, having the courage
to address concerns builds trust.
People count on your competence as a
leader, and addressing concerns is an important
component of competent leadership.
But do not reprimand the entire organization
when the concern only involves a few individuals. If three teachers consistently arrive to
school 15 minutes late, speak directly to those
individuals. A reprimand to everyone in a faculty
meeting or in an e-mail about arriving on time
might feel like punishment to those who are
arriving on time and thus might erode trust.

Exaggerate the facts?

Share information that isnt helpful or necessary?

Correcting concerns effectively means that you

talk to people individually, in person and in
private, about the behavior. Never try to shame
or embarrass someone; instead, express empathy
while making sure your expectations are clear
and understood.
As a leader, it is important for you to address
incompetence. Set, review, and monitor expectations. Make sure you know what competent
teaching looks like and that you know the best
way to manage teachers who arent meeting
ASCD /

WWW.ASCD.ORG

21

expectations. Stay aware of current state laws,

district policies, and appropriate personnel
management techniques.
When working with a faculty member, ask
questions, listen, and observe, and then provide
honest and specific feedback that includes
written documentation. Working with someone
to discuss what he or she is not doing well is difficult; persistence and commitment are required
for this time-consuming process. Your level of
courage and skill in dealing with incompetence
can have a direct impact on building and maintaining trust in your organization.

If you panic, a sense of worry

can spread like wildfire. If you
erupt in anger, that reaction
can create a culture of fear.
4. Build trust by saying thankyou.
Sincere and frequent expressions of appreciation
help build trust. Although a simple thank-you
is better than none, a specific and detailed
expression of thanks reinforces and affirms
peoples actions. How frequently do you thank
others? Perhaps you are like many who have
thoughts of thankfulness but have difficulty with
the follow-through.
Turning your thoughts of gratitude into deliberate and frequent exchanges can help you build
trust. This three-step plan can help you turn
appreciative thoughts into actions.
1. Check your attitude and observe. Develop an
attitude of gratitude by reviewing all the events
of your past week. Look at your calendar. Who
helped with various events? Take a walk through
your building noticing the displays of student
work, teachers working with students, or staff
assisting visitors. Simply observing the activities
and interactions within your school can give you
many ideas for individuals to thank.
2. Make a list of people to recognize. Writing a
list is better than relying on memory. You can
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EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP / APRIL 2015

include details that will help you be specific in

your praise. A list can also serve as a reminder to
follow through when you cant express gratitude
right away. And it can serve as a record of those
youve recognized and perhaps alert you to those
youve forgotten.
3. Consider your mode of delivery. Thank
people in a variety of ways, through written
notes, e-mails, and verbal exchanges. All these
forms help others know what you value. Still,
with todays focus on electronic communication,
handwritten notes can be especially powerful.
We know of teachers who have saved every
thank-you note given to them, and these words
of gratitude continue to encourage them.
Take Time to Reflect on Trust
Some leaders underestimate the power of
relationships in solving their problems. Many
well-intentioned leaders are simply unaware
that their words and actions erode trust. Some
who are aware lack the strategies to address trust
issues.
We encourage you to reflect on your trustbuilding strategies: What are your strongest
trust-building qualities (care, character, competence)? How might your quick-tempered reactions affect others trust in you? How are you
addressing problems among your teachers?
How do you offer appreciation to others? And
how will you express your appreciation in the
future? EL
1
Covey, S. M. R. (2006). The speed of trust. New
York: Free Press, p. xvii.
2
Combs, J. P., Edmonson, S. L., & Harris, S.
(2013). The trust factor: Strategies for school leaders.
New York: Routledge.

Julie Peterson Combs (jcombs@shsu.edu) is an

associate professor of educational leadership and
director of the doctoral program at Sam Houston
State University, Huntsville, Texas. Sandra Harris
(drsandy@flash.net) is a professor and dissertation
coordinator at the Center for Doctoral Studies
in Educational Leadership at Lamar University,
Beaumont, Texas. Stacey Edmonson (sedmonson
@shsu.edu) is dean of the College of Education
and a professor of educational leadership at Sam
Houston State University. They are the authors of
The Trust Factor: Strategies for School Leaders
(Routledge, 2013).

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