My leadership team is highly competent and polite, but nobody ever shows vulnerability or admits when they are struggling with their Rocks until the end of the quarter when it is too late. How do I build actual, functional trust on this team so we can address failure before it happens?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Polite, low-conflict leadership teams often face significant dysfunction because they lack the trust required for vulnerability. When team members hide their struggles, they end up reporting their Rocks are on track week after week, only to admit failure at the very end of the quarter. This passive-aggressive harmony can be highly destructive to your operations.

To build actual, functional trust, you must start by modeling it yourself.

Modeling Vulnerability

As the owner, you must be the first to demonstrate vulnerability. This means:

• Admitting when you do not know the answer.
• Acknowledging when you made a mistake.
• Openly sharing when you are struggling to complete your own commitments.

This sets the precedent that it is safe to be imperfect and seek help.

Facilitating Level 10 Meetings

Next, adjust how you run your [Level 10 Meeting sessions](/qa/rein-in-level-10-meeting-segue). If a leadership team member reports a Rock is on track but you suspect they are struggling, push them to be honest.

• Use the IDS process to dig into the underlying issues. Remember that [when an issue is dropped to IDS, your team should take ownership](/qa/using-accountability-chart-to-stop-blame-in-ids), not point fingers.
• Encourage a culture where raising a red flag early is celebrated as a sign of strength and professionalism.
• Treat hiding problems until the eleventh hour as an accountability failure.

This approach reinforces that early transparency is valued and expected.

Building Deeper Connections

You can also use structured trust-building tools to help team members form deeper personal connections. Trust is not primarily built through social outings; it is built by:

• Consistently delivering on commitments.
• Being open about your limitations. This is particularly relevant if [your leadership team is already forming quiet alliances and cliques](/qa/breaking-up-executive-factions-cliques), which can indicate a lack of overall trust.

When your team realizes that admitting weakness does not lead to punishment, they will begin to collaborate honestly and solve issues before they impact your bottom line. It's crucial to [shift their mindset to an enterprise-first approach](/qa/shifting-leadership-mindset-to-enterprise-first) rather than protecting individual departments. This fosters an environment where team members feel safe to be vulnerable and address challenges proactively.

Related questions

• [Our leadership meetings look fine on paper, but we never have real breakthrough debates. How do I know if my team actually trusts each other, or if they are just playing nice to avoid conflict?](/qa/leadership-team-trust-healthy-conflict)
• [My team is highly competent but everyone works in a silo, refusing to ask for help or admit mistakes until it is too late. How do I get them to open up and share vulnerability?](/qa/building-vulnerability-and-safety-in-leadership)
• [How do I handle a key department head who refuses to participate in offsite vulnerability or team-building exercises, claiming it is a waste of time?](/qa/handling-leader-resisting-offsite-vulnerability)
• [Our leadership team is protective of their departments and avoids RPRS calls. How do we build trust to speak openly?](/qa/building-vulnerability-trust-rprs-calls)
• [When an issue is dropped to IDS, my leadership team immediately starts pointing fingers at other departments rather than taking ownership. How do we use the Accountability Chart to stop the blame game during meetings?](/qa/using-accountability-chart-to-stop-blame-in-ids)