I recently came across a great study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology and I have provided the reference below. However the study was based on leadership, but more importantly, trust in leaders and how that impacts performance. Overall the authors basic findings were, a) team performance increased when players trust the coach, b) team performance decreased when players did not trust their coach, c) increases in player trust in coach increased player trust in each other, and d) teams where everyone trusted the coach performed better even when previous performances were not good.Â
A huge take-away here is coaches, those in a leadership position, if you place trust in the players you lead, this significantly increases the likelihood players will trust you back. This bidirectional trust creates a cascade of positive results for you and the team. For example, this develops a culture of better communication, desire for collaboration between team members, lowered fear of failure, and decreased self-serving attitudes and behaviors.
I know this may fly in the face of beliefs that “trust is earned.” However, consider the potential benefits of developing a climate of trust with those you lead. The research is saying enhanced performance is a likely outcome.
Mach, M., & Lvina, E. (2017). When trust in the leader matters: The moderated-mediation model of team performance and trust. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 134-149. doi: 10.1080/10413200.2016.1196765