“Trust is like the air we breathe.  When it’s present, nobody really notices. But when it’s absent, everybody notices.” – Warren Buffet

Patrick Lencioni writes in best-seller, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: “In the context of building a team, trust is the confidence among team members that their peers’ intentions are good, and that there is no reason to be protective or careful around the group.  In essence, teammates must get comfortable being vulnerablewith one another.”

Duke Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski (named 2011 Sportsman of the Year by SI), observes: “In leadership, there are no words more important than trust.  In any organization, trust must be developed among every member of the team if success is going to be achieved.”

The Bottom Line: Leaders cultivate relationships of trust within teams knowing trust is as vital to the team’s success as air is to life.