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:
π¬ βWho feels safe and willing to take a personal risk and participate in this learning activity?β
Half the group privately said no.
So, we didnβt do the activity. No pressure. No forced vulnerability.
Not because it wouldnβt have worked. But because trust wasnβt fully in the room yet.
And in coaching, thatβs the work.
Because trust isnβt built on slides or frameworks.
Itβs built on the felt experience of safety.
And sometimes, the most transformational coaching happens when we donβt push through.
Itβs easy to talk about trust.
Itβs harder to notice when itβs missing.
And Iβm glad I stopped, acknowledged the choices, and shifted course accordingly.
The moment reminded me.
Trust isnβt a slide on the deck. Itβs the factor that decides whether the learning actually lands.
Trust is not a soft skill. Itβs a core leadership capability.
Without it, coaching is surface-level.
Without it, learning doesnβt land.
Without it, even the best strategies stall.
If youβre serious about building stronger leaders and healthier teams, trust isnβt the thing you skip to get to the βreal work.β
Trust is the real work.
