Systems of People / Trust / What is Trust?
What is Trust?
A plain-language definition for leaders, and the two kinds of trust every team runs on.
At its simplest, trust is a willingness to accept vulnerability in the presence of uncertainty.
To trust is not to remove risk, but to move forward despite it, because we believe another person, group, or institution is unlikely to cause harm and may act with our interests in mind.
Trust is often described as a feeling. Other times it is treated as a judgment based on evidence of competence, reliability, or shared interest. Research across psychology, sociology, economics, and organizational studies shows that both are true. Trust includes emotion and judgment. It involves care and credibility. It is experienced personally, but shaped by the relationships and systems around us.
Because vulnerability and uncertainty are always present in systems of people and relationships, trust is never fixed. It develops through repeated signals of honesty, reliability, and care. It can deepen through shared experience and mutual risk-taking. It can also erode, slowly through neglect or quickly through betrayal, confusion, or sustained pressure that overwhelms people's capacity to show up well.
Two kinds of trust, in simple terms
To think about trust in practical terms, it helps to see it as an equation.
Kind one
Transactional trust
Ability (& Capability) + Integrity (Track Record)
Whether someone can do the thing, and whether their track record shows they have done it before.
Easy to take for granted, precisely because it underlies so many of the small, fleeting exchanges we move through every day without a second thought: a barista getting an order right, a colleague sending a file on time. We rarely stop to call that trust. But it is, and systems of people depend on a steady supply of it.
Kind two
Relational trust
Transactional trust + Care (Benevolence)
Relational trust adds care, sometimes called benevolence in the research: whether someone is looking out for you, not just for the outcome.
This is closer to what most of us picture when we think about trust. It's the kind that feels personal, the kind we notice when it's present and feel the absence of when it's not.
Most friction in teams is not a lack of trust. It is the wrong kind of trust for the moment.
What trust is, and what it isn’t
Trust is easy to confuse with things that sit near it.
What trust is not
Trust is not blind optimism or the absence of accountability. In healthy systems, trust and clear expectations reinforce each other. Trust is also not the same as agreement, comfort, or politeness. People can disagree, hold high standards, and still operate with strong trust. And while trust feels personal, it is not created by intention alone. Structures, incentives, leadership behaviour, and shared norms all influence whether trust can grow or survive.
A relational condition
Seen clearly, trust is best understood as a relational condition that enables cooperation, learning, repair, and coordinated action over time. When trust is present, many other positive outcomes become possible. When it is absent, even strong strategies or capable individuals struggle to sustain progress.
Frequently asked questions about trust
Short answers to the questions leaders ask most.
What is trust, in simple terms?
At its simplest, trust is a willingness to accept vulnerability in the presence of uncertainty. It means believing another person, group, or institution is unlikely to cause harm and may act with your interests in mind.
Is trust a feeling or a judgment?
Both. Trust includes emotion and judgment. It's experienced personally, but shaped by the relationships and systems around us, not created by intention alone.
What is the difference between transactional trust and relational trust?
Transactional trust is built on ability and integrity, whether someone can do a task, and whether their track record shows they've done it before. Relational trust adds care, sometimes called benevolence in the research, whether someone is looking out for you, not just for the outcome.
Is trust the same as agreement or being liked?
No. Trust isn't the same as agreement, comfort, or politeness. People can disagree, hold high standards, and still operate with strong trust between them.
Can trust be rebuilt once it's broken?
Yes. Trust is never fixed, it develops through repeated signals and can also erode. How Trust Forms, Erodes, and Repairs covers what that process actually looks like.
Why does transactional trust matter if relational trust feels more important?
Because it underlies countless everyday exchanges we take for granted, a barista getting an order right, a colleague sending a file on time. Systems of people depend on a steady supply of it, even when nobody stops to call it trust.
More on trust
Clearer understanding does not remove complexity, but it makes thoughtful action possible. Each page in the Trust hub takes a different angle.
Other knowledge hubs: Care Community and Belonging coming soon All of Systems of People
Bring this to your team
This is one piece of a larger framework I teach live. If your team is working through trust in practice, not just in theory, The Foundations of Culture workshop is built to work through exactly this, together.
“I can’t imagine a single team of people who wouldn’t benefit from these workshops.”
A quick animated explainer on what is trust and introducing the two kinds of trust.