Trust falls are out. Trust calls are in.
In a recent coaching skills workshop for a group of Singapore leaders and managers, I had an experiential activity lined up-one that required participants to step outside their comfort zones to surface real insight. I explained what we were going to do and lay down expectations.
Before launching in, I did a check in and asked the whole group:
💬 “Who feels safe and willing to take a personal risk and participate in this learning activity?”
Half the group privately said no.
So, we didn’t do the activity. No pressure. No forced vulnerability.
Not because it wouldn’t have worked. But because trust wasn’t fully in the room yet.
And in coaching, that’s the work.
Because trust isn’t built on slides or frameworks.
It’s built on the felt experience of safety.
And sometimes, the most transformational coaching happens when we don’t push through.
It’s easy to talk about trust.
It’s harder to notice when it’s missing.
And I’m glad I stopped, acknowledged the choices, and shifted course accordingly.
The moment reminded me.
Trust isn’t a slide on the deck. It’s the factor that decides whether the learning actually lands.
Trust is not a soft skill. It’s a core leadership capability.
Without it, coaching is surface-level.
Without it, learning doesn’t land.
Without it, even the best strategies stall.
If you’re serious about building stronger leaders and healthier teams, trust isn’t the thing you skip to get to the “real work.”
Trust is the real work.
