Build Trust Before You Need It: The Pre-Crisis Leader

The reputation you establish during times of success serves as the most effective crisis management strategy.

Crisis management isn’t just about reaction; it’s about preparation. Learn why the ‘Pre-Crisis Leader’ prioritises building a reservoir of trust. This ensures speed and alignment when it matters most.

I remember a distinct moment early in my career, working within a large organisation during a significant technology failure. The email system had collapsed, critical data was inaccessible, and the pressure from external stakeholders was steadily increasing. The tension in the room was palpable, heavy enough to weigh down even the most seasoned professionals.

I watched two different managers respond to the chaos. One started issuing orders instantly, his voice rising, demanding updates every five minutes. The team hesitated. They double-checked their answers before speaking to him. They hid minor complications, fearing his reaction. The response was slow, disjointed, and fearful.

The other manager was someone I was working with on a parallel stream of work. She simply walked into the room and asked, ‘What do we know, and what do we need?’ The team swarmed around her. They shared bad news instantly. They moved at a synchronised pace that seemed impossible given the circumstances. The difference wasn’t their technical knowledge; it was their history.

She had spent years making deposits in what I now call the ‘trust reservoir’. He had not. At that moment, I realised that effective crisis management isn’t about what you do when a fire starts. It is about the fire safety drills you ran. It’s about the relationships you built. It’s about the credibility you earned when the days were calm.

Key Takeaways

• The ‘Trust Reservoir’ is your most vital asset. You must fill it with small, consistent acts of reliability. Only then can you draw from it in an emergency.
• Speed is directly proportional to the level of trust. Low-trust teams pay a ‘credibility tax’ of hesitation and verification. High-trust teams execute immediately.
• Transparency inoculates against rumours. Explaining the ‘why’ behind small decisions is important today. It trains your team to trust your judgement when you cannot explain ‘why’ tomorrow.

I. Introduction: The Crisis Paradox

Many leaders are susceptible to a common trap. We often view crisis preparation as a series of protocols, phone trees, and continuity plans. We focus on the logistics of disaster. While these mechanics are necessary, they are insufficient. The uncomfortable reality is that most leaders wait until the storm hits to worry about whether their team is cohesive.

This process creates a paradox. You need trust the most at the exact moment it is hardest to earn. When uncertainty strikes, we naturally retreat towards scepticism. We become protective. If you haven’t already established a bridge with your team, the rising floodwaters will prevent you from crossing it. You can’t cultivate loyalty during a crisis.

In my years advising on complex projects, I discovered important insights. I learned that successful crisis navigation depends on factors beyond ‘war room’ decisions. It is determined by the deposits made in the ‘trust reservoir’ during peacetime. The leader who has consistently demonstrated authenticity and care will find their team ready to follow them into the fog. The leader who hasn’t will find themselves marching alone.

II. Anatomy of the ‘Trust Reservoir’

The metaphor of the ‘Emotional Bank Account’, popularised by Stephen Covey, is precise but often misunderstood in a professional context. We often think of big gestures as the primary currency. But, in my experience working with teams across various sectors, the reservoir is filled with cents, not banknotes.

Every positive interaction is a deposit. It’s important to listen even when you’re busy. Giving credit where it is due. Admitting a small mistake. These are micro-deposits. Every time you break a promise, hide information without cause, or shift blame, you are making a withdrawal. When a crisis hits, you are about to make a massive withdrawal. You are going to ask people to work late, to accept uncertainty, or to risk their reputations. If your account is empty, the cheque bounces.

Research suggests that employees who trust their leaders are significantly more likely to be engaged. But we need to distinguish between two types of trust. There is Competence Trust: ‘Can this leader do the job?’ And there is Character Trust: ‘Does this leader have our best interests at heart?’

Character trust is the specific fuel required for crisis survival. This is particularly true in the Australian context. We have a cultural filter of egalitarianism and ‘mateship’. We are naturally suspicious of authority that relies solely on rank. In the organisations I worked with, I noticed that building team trust required levelling with people. You don’t gain trust because of the title on your business card. You earn it by proving you wouldn’t throw the team under the bus to save yourself.

III. The Economics of Chaos: The Velocity of Trust

We are now operating in what some call a ‘polycrisis’ era. Economic shifts, technological disruption, and global instability overlap. Constant readiness is the new norm. In this environment, speed is a survival metric.

This brings us to the economics of trust. In low-trust organisations, I notice what I call a ‘credibility tax’. The team scrutinises, queries, and confirms every directive from a leader before taking action. ‘Is this action really necessary?’ ‘Are they just covering their tracks?’ This friction slows response times dramatically.

Contrast such situations with high-trust teams. When a trusted leader says, ‘We need to pivot now,’ the team pivots. They assume positive intent. They assume there is a reason, even if they can’t see it yet. This concept is the ‘Trust Dividend’.

I once worked on a project where we had to switch vendors overnight due to a compliance breach. It was a massive headache. Because the team knew I valued their time and sanity, they didn’t waste hours grumbling or speculating. They just moved. Pre-existing trust eliminates the friction of scepticism. It allows for decision-making strategies that are rapid and decisive.

IV. The Pre-Crisis Protocol: Radical Transparency

So, how do we build this before the sky falls? It starts with what I call inoculation against rumours. The ‘pre-crisis leader’ operates with transparency before it is strictly necessary.

One habit I developed was explaining the ‘why’ behind mundane, low-stakes decisions. If we changed a meeting time, I explained why. If we altered a document template, I explained the reasoning. This wasn’t about over-justifying; it was about training.

I was teaching the team that there is always a logic behind my actions. By understanding my thinking process in calm times, they learned to trust my logic when the stakes were high. I didn’t have the luxury of time to explain. Communication skills are often tested in these quiet moments.

Treating internal communications with the same rigour as external public relations is crucial. Too often, leaders spin stories for their teams. This is a mistake. The shift must be from ‘Command and Control’ to ‘Connect and Collaborate’.

This includes the power of saying, ‘I don’t know.’ Admitting uncertainty in peacetime builds a psychological safety net. If you only project perfection, your team will hide their flaws. If you admit when you are unsure, you signal that truth is more important than appearance. This encourages problem-solving that is rooted in reality, not performative competence.

V. The Authenticity Imperative (The ‘Growthenticity’ Angle)

There is a danger in discussing trust as a ‘strategy’. It can sound manipulative, as if you are only being nice to people so you can use them later. This is where the concept of ‘Growthenticity’ becomes critical. You can’t ‘hack’ relational capital.

Trust can’t be faked for utility. The ‘Pre-Crisis Leader’ doesn’t build trust to exploit it. They build it because they genuinely value the collective resilience of the group. If you view your team merely as resources to be deployed, they will sense it.

I have seen leaders try to feign emotional intelligence just before a restructure. It never works. It usually backfires, creating cynicism. Authentic connection is the only thing that holds up under pressure.

When the heat is turned up, the mask melts. If your leadership style is a performance, a crisis will ruin the show. But if your leadership is an extension of your true character—flawed but trying—your team will often rally around you. They forgive mistakes; they rarely forgive manipulation.

VI. Actionable Steps: Filling the Reservoir

Building this reservoir requires intent. You can’t just hope it happens. Start by conducting a ‘Trust Audit’. Look at your last five interactions with your direct reports. Did you listen, or did you instruct? Did you clarify, or did you confuse?

Create feedback loops for bad news. In one role, I made a rule. ‘You will never face consequences for a mistake if you report it to me immediately.’ You will only get in trouble for hiding it.’ This created a channel for bad news to travel up quickly. You want to hear the thunder before the storm hits.

Be visibly consistent. Predictability is a boring but essential part of trust. If your team has to guess your mood every morning, they are wasting energy they will need later. Behaving predictably means your team doesn’t have to waste bandwidth decoding your intent.

Finally, focus on collaborative environment deposits. Acknowledge the effort, not just the outcome. Ask about their weekend and actually listen to the answer. These small moments are the mortar that holds the wall together when the earth shakes.

VII. Conclusion

In a crisis, your policy handbook matters less than your people. I have seen perfect plans fail because the team didn’t trust the leader executing them. I have also seen imperfect plans succeed. The team trusted the leader enough to fix the plane while flying it.

Trust is the only insurance policy you can’t buy on the open market. You have to earn it day by day, interaction by interaction. It is slow work. It is quiet work. But it is the most valuable work you will do.

Start making deposits today. Be open about a small challenge. Ask for feedback on a decision. Show up for your team. Build the reservoir now, before the rain starts falling.

Wrapping Up

The ‘Pre-Crisis Leader’ understands that leadership is not a title but a relationship. Prioritise trust and transparency during quiet moments. Such an approach ensures that when the noise of a crisis arrives, your team is willing to follow your voice. Preparation is personal.

🌱 Build Trust Before You Need It: The Growthenticity Connection

The core ideas explored in this article aren’t just isolated concepts; they deeply resonate with the principles of what I call ‘Growthenticity’:

“The continuous, integrated process of becoming more oneself (authentic) through leading with questions, learning through action, and growing by embracing uncertainty and imperfection, all fuelled by curiosity.”

Building a trust reservoir requires us to embrace imperfection. By admitting ‘I don’t know’ and showing vulnerability, we are practising embracing uncertainty. We move away from the facade of the infallible leader and towards a more authentic self. This invites our teams to do the same. It creates a culture where harnessing curiosity about problems replaces the fear of blame.

👉 I encourage you to check out my paid Substack offerings at Lead, Learn, Grow. You can further explore concepts like ‘Growthenticity.’ You will also gain access to practical tools and connect with a supportive community. This community focuses on encouraging authentic and impactful growth.

Join us as we unpack these ideas and support each other on our journeys.

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Your Turn

When was the last time a leader’s openness affected your willingness to give extra effort? Did it happen during a stressful period?