4 Essential Behaviors for Building Trust

Sincerity. Reliability. Competence. Care. 

No matter your role as a company-grade officer, trust is foundational to a team’s success. Trust connects a leader’s intent to execution by fostering confidence, unity, and resilience in even the most challenging circumstances.

Research reinforces the impact of trust on organizational success. Paul J. Zak, in Trust Factor, found that employees in high-trust companies have significantly lower stress, higher productivity, and increased engagement. Similarly, the Annual Study of Army Leadership reports that 77% of active component and reserve component soldiers express a favorable level of trust in their unit leaders, highlighting the role of trust in unit climate and readiness.

Trust inherently involves risk – people make a conscious decision to grant trust to someone else. Leaders can take deliberate action to cultivate it among their followers. In The Thin Book of Trust, Charles Feltman argues that trust has four key behaviors: sincerity, reliability, competence, and care. For leaders, understanding and applying these behaviors strengthens relationships with soldiers and fosters effective collaboration with NCOs.

Sincerity: I mean what I say, say what I mean, and act accordingly.

Sincerity means aligning your words with actions. It builds trust in the chain of command, strengthens morale, and contributes to organizational success. Without sincerity, communication erodes, relationships weaken, and teams lose cohesion.

Leaders can foster sincerity through clear communication, accountability, and genuine support for their team. Practice sincerity by:

• Explaining decisions clearly: Leaders should clearly explain the reasoning and impact of their decisions to help soldiers understand how their actions contribute to mission success.
• Take responsibility for mistakes: Soldiers will likely appreciate your humility when mistakes arise, and you, as the leader, take ownership.
• Give credit where it’s due: Recognizing and celebrating the contributions your soldiers and NCOs bring to your team’s success.

The professional relationship between an officer and NCO has a direct impact on the success of the organization. Leaders can practice sincerity by providing meaningful feedback and actively listening to NCOs, seeking their input, and incorporating their recommendations. For example, during a counseling session, an officer might genuinely listen to an NCO’s concerns and then incorporate their recommendation into operational planning.

Reliability: You can count on me to deliver what I promise!

A reliable leader is someone others can depend on without hesitation, completing tasks efficiently and consistently. Reliability instills confidence because subordinates know what to expect and can plan accordingly. If a leader is unreliable, the team struggles with uncertainty and erodes confidence in their ability to work together.

Leaders demonstrate reliability by being present, predictable, and consistent. Practical ways to build reliability include:

• Pre-combat checks (PCCs) and inspections (PCIs): Just as these ensure that soldiers and equipment are ready for combat, leaders must conduct regular check-ins to assess the mental, emotional, and professional readiness of their team.
• Maintaining open communication: Keep subordinates informed about expectations and changes to prevent confusion and reinforce trust.
• Following through on commitments: Completing tasks as promised demonstrates dependability and encourages the same from others.

Reliability also involves honesty and integrity—the backbone of ethical leadership. Soldiers and NCOs must trust that their leader will tell the truth. Unrealistic promises or a lack of transparency undermine this trust.

Competence: I know I can do this. I need to learn to do that.

Company-grade officers should focus on building their technical and tactical skills through formal education, training, and practical experience. Key opportunities for development include:

• Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC): Provides foundational branch knowledge and leadership skills.
• Captain’s Career Course (CCC): Enhances tactical and operational proficiency.
• Specialized schools and training: Airborne, Air Assault, Ranger school, and schools that provide Additional Skills Identifiers (ASI) refine leadership, tactical, and technical skills.
• Self-study and professional development: Reading doctrine, studying tactics and current events, and seeking mentorship help expand your knowledge beyond formal training

A leader’s competence becomes more important as you rise through the ranks. Competent leaders instill confidence in their soldiers and NCOs by showing they have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to execute their duties effectively. Yet being competent is more than just having command of branch skills, regulations, or techniques. Leaders must be able to collaborate effectively with soldiers and NCOs, make decisions under pressure, and adapt to reinforce trust.

Care: We’re in this together. Your well-being is important to me.

The most enduring pillar of trust is care. Leaders who genuinely care about their soldier’s well-being foster trust and loyalty. Soldiers may trust an officer’s sincerity, reliability, and competence, but care is what builds deep, lasting trust.

Leaders can care for soldiers by practicing “leadership (or management) by walking around (LBWA)” – leaving the office to engage with soldiers, understand their challenges, and check on their well-being. Caring for your soldiers means more than just being concerned about their work performance; it also involves understanding their strengths, goals, and challenges.

Practical ways to show care include:

• Informal conversations during daily activities: Engage in conversations during downtime to learn about soldiers’ personal aspirations and concerns. Join soldiers in their daily routines to break down barriers and build rapport.
• Observing training: Attend training sessions to understand the challenges soldiers face and offer immediate support or feedback.
• Be aware of their interests and relationships: Knowing the names and activities of your soldiers and their families is key. It shows you genuinely care about their lives. Try to recall conversations and ask specific questions about them.

Caring for NCOs is equally important. Officers should respect an NCO’s expertise, seek their input, and empower them to lead. Supporting their professional development and maintaining open communication strengthens mutual trust. Real leadership means leaders recognize that they need to take care of the people they lead, connect with their needs, and do what they can to help make the team successful.

The Foundation

Trust is the foundation of relationships and leading others. While an officer’s rank and formal position may grant certain levels of trust, it is ultimately earned through one’s actions and behaviors. By being sincere, reliable, competent, and caring, officers can build lasting relationships with their soldiers and NCOs, cement unbreakable unity, and cultivate the resilience needed to accomplish any mission.

CPT Jakob Hutter is a Kansas Army National Guard logistics officer currently serving as the Battalion S3 for the 169th Division Sustainment Support Battalion in Leavenworth, Kansas. Additionally, he serves as a Troop Command Brigade Training Officer. He has a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and received his commission from Kansas State University in 2016. He is passionate about the science of Army logistics, the art of military leadership, and combining both to provide effective sustainment.

Photo courtesy of DVIDS: U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright, Fort Benning Maneuver Center of Excellence photographer