7 Secrets to Spotting People You can Trust

Failure awaits all leaders who trust the wrong people.

Surround yourself with people you can trust. Few things are more powerful than a team of talented people who trust each other.


It doesn’t matter what you want to accomplish if you surround yourself with untrustworthy people.

7 Secrets to spotting people you can trust:

#1. Trust people who connect rather than isolate. Accept the need for privacy, but trustworthy leadership includes relationship building.

People who can’t connect, can’t lead.

#2. Trust people who stay supportive after not getting their own way. Beware of team members who cross their arms and pout when they don’t get what they want.

#3. Trust people who criticize up and down organizational hierarchy.

  • Don’t trust people who refuse to voice constructive criticism.
  • Don’t trust people who only criticize people who aren’t present.
  • Don’t trust people who shift positions depending on the people around the table.

#4. Trust people who express gratitude for colleagues and teammates. People talk about you the way they talk about others.

#5. Trust people who disagree kindly and openly. Don’t trust people who raise an eyebrow of disapproval, but don’t openly voice concerns.

Manipulators wrinkle their foreheads, but don’t speak up.

Beware of people who avoid, deflect, and sweep important issues under the carpet.

#6. Trust people who treat powerless people with respect. Do they speak kindly to you and rudely to the server at dinner? It’s possible to have a bad day. What’s the pattern?

#7. Trust people who trust others. Delegating, listening, and transparency indicate you have learned to trust others.

A person who can’t trust others can’t lead.

Bonus: Trustworthy people tell you what they really want.

How do you spot people you can trust?