Get Charged Up

How full are the trust batteries you rely on?

Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke uses a metaphor we really like, the trust battery. Every relationship starts with it half-charged, around 50%. From there, every interaction either charges it up or drains it down.

Show up prepared? Charge.
Miss a deadline and go silent? Drain.
Keep your word? Charge.
Talk behind someone’s back? Drain.

And when that battery hits 80% or more? Communication flows. Feedback feels natural. Collaboration becomes easy.

But when it slips to 20% or less? Even small requests feel like heavy burdens. Minor misunderstandings become major obstacles.

Trust isn’t built in a single moment. It’s maintained in a thousand micro-behaviors.

Trust is not a one-time deposit, it’s a daily charge.

Recharge trust daily by keeping small promises. They’re easier to fulfill, and over time, they create a pattern of dependability. The more consistently you deliver, the more trust you generate.

Dan Sullivan, founder of Strategic Coach, outlines four key habits of referability, practices that make someone trustworthy, credible, and consistently recommended by others. These habits are simple, but powerful:

1. Show up on time. Being punctual signals reliability and respect. It builds confidence that you’re dependable, organized, and committed.
2. Do what you say. Integrity starts here. Following through on promises, especially the small ones, proves that your word can be trusted. Expectation setting is a skill we see missing in many workplaces. Develop your ability to set, manage and deliver on expectations.
3. Finish what you start. People value those who complete things. Seeing things through to the end builds credibility and shows you take ownership.
4. Say please and thank you. Politeness and gratitude foster goodwill. These small courtesies reflect humility and emotional intelligence, traits that make people want to work with you again.
   

This week, pause and ask: what is the status of your trust batteries, with your team, your partner, your peers, even yourself?

ACTION:

Focus on making daily deposits into the trust batteries around you.

“Trust grows in the soil of consistency, not charisma. It’s not built in the big moments; it’s revealed in them.” – Donna Brighton