The Trustworthy or Toxic Assessment
High-impact conversations are built on trust. How trustworthy are you?
Toxic leaders drain motivation. But trustworthy leaders have power to energize people.
Respond to seven statements to evaluate your trustworthiness. It might surprise you.
Determine Your Trustworthy Score:
Use this self-assessment to rate your trustworthiness. Circle the number that best represents your score. 1 = almost never. 5 = almost always.
#1. I always seek the highest good of others.
1 2 3 4 5
How much ego drives my desire to help others grow? Would I still help if no one noticed?
#2. I am genuinely curious about others.
1 2 3 4 5
Do I ask questions to understand—or to correct and advise?
#3. I’m authentic regardless of the situation.
1 2 3 4 5
Would the people closest to me say I’m the same person in private as I am in public?
I consistently let people see the real me.
#4. I’m vulnerable—honest about my weaknesses.
1 2 3 4 5
Do I share my own journey, or pretend I have it all together?
I frequently share how I am working to develop myself.
#5. I consistently connect people with others who might be helpful to them.
1 2 3 4 5
Am I generous with my network, knowledge, or experience?
#6. I regularly bring up tough issues with clarity and care.
1 2 3 4 5
Do I say the hard thing when needed, or hide behind politeness?
#7. People usually feel energized and valued after talking with me.
1 2 3 4 5
How do people feel after we talk—lighter, or heavier?
Reflection:
- What stands out as your most trustworthy area?
- Which one suggests opportunities for improvement?
- What’s one small change you could make this week to become more trustworthy?
- Who will you share your action item with?
Challenge: Ask your team to take this assessment with you in mind.
What question would you add to this assessment?
Which question do you find most challenging?
Print this assessment:
Everything Starts with Trust HBR
Dan – As the onboarding/orientation training manager in the not-for profit service industry, we talk about trust as one of the key components to building a culture of care, support, compassion, and understanding. Thanks for this focus on such an important, but frequently overlooked component for success.
Thanks, Diane. It’s interesting that everyone wants to have productive conversations, but as you say, we often neglect the foundation. Cheers.
One question I might add: Other people often come to me sharing their inner struggles and challenges.
Great post. I loved all of the question – I have to improve on question 1. I confess that when things were not going as well for me, that I was not celebrating and wishing for other people’s victories.
Wonderful add, Travis. Trustworthy is open and welcoming as well as able to keep a confidence.
Great post today, Dan. A little self-reflection on a Tuesday morning is good for the soul.
Thank you!
Thank you SSB. We get so busy. A moment of reflection can help. Cheers.
I can’t remember who originally said it—it might’ve been a spin-off of the Love Languages—but years ago, someone introduced the idea of a person’s “Trust Language.” The concept stuck with me. The idea was that we often build and receive trust in different ways. We might offer trust through one lens—like reliability—but need something entirely different, like transparency or truthfulness, in order to feel trust ourselves. I think the core categories were reliability, transparency, truthfulness, and maybe one or two others I’ve since forgotten. Still, it’s worth reflecting on: How do I build trust? And what do I really look for when deciding if someone is trustworthy?
Thanks Jason. What an interesting idea. I did a few Google searches to explore the concept. I didn’t find anything specific, but “trust language” is a great reminder that trust is built in different ways.