Giving Trust
When I first joined the team, my product partner looked at me and said: “I’m going to trust you simply because I need to.”
It was a striking statement. He had no reason to trust me—I hadn’t earned it yet. Most people expect trust to be built over time. But instead of waiting for proof, he chose to begin our partnership from a foundation of trust.
As someone new to the company, battling a fair amount of imposter syndrome, his words were incredibly empowering. They set the tone for our relationship and gave me confidence that I could share ideas openly, knowing I had his support.
Trust, as The Five Dysfunctions of a Team reminds us, is the foundation of success. Without it, teams get stuck second-guessing and protecting themselves instead of moving forward. By starting with trust, my partner skipped the “proving grounds” phase and immediately accelerated our ability to work together. From day one, we could focus on solving problems—not each other.