Trust as Currency: Why it Outweighs Control
Trust as Currency: Why It Outweighs Control
RISEUP Voices From the Frontlines – Trauma-Informed Leadership Series
By Krista Fee
As a trauma practitioner, writer, and founder of the RISEUP Phoenix Trauma and Crisis Institute, my work is rooted in one central truth: leadership is not about titles or control—it is about responsibility, healing, and trust. Through years of personal experience as a survivor, responder, and leader, I have learned that trust is not a soft ideal but the very currency that sustains leadership in every arena—government, organizations, families, and communities.
In this article, based on Episode 21 of the Trauma-Informed Leadership Series, I’ll unpack why trust matters more than control, how neuroscience and history confirm this, and what practical steps leaders can take to build and repair trust that endures.
Leadership’s Hidden Economy
Leadership runs on many visible currencies, budgets, policies, influence, and charisma. But beneath them all is one invisible economy that determines whether any of it holds: trust.
Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” That “want to” is born of trust.
Without trust, authority is hollow. Compliance is brittle. Systems fracture. But with trust, even scarce resources multiply in effectiveness. People risk more, collaborate better, and give beyond what is required by duty.
Why Control Falls Short
Control is tempting because it is immediate and predictable. You can set rules, demand compliance, and enforce consequences. But decades of organizational psychology research show that environments dominated by control produce disengagement, resentment, and high turnover.
Control says: You will do this because I can make you.
Trust says: You will do this because you believe it matters.
Control breeds fragility. Trust breeds resilience.
Lessons From History
Abraham Lincoln modeled this truth in his “Team of Rivals” cabinet. Instead of surrounding himself only with loyalists, Lincoln invited critics and former opponents into his administration. By trusting their voices and convictions, he strengthened his leadership in a deeply divided nation.
Contrast that with authoritarian regimes. They silence dissent, purge critics, and consolidate loyalty through fear. Such systems appear strong, but the moment fear loosens its grip, collapse comes quickly.
Lincoln reminds us: control breeds silence; trust breeds strength.
The Trauma-Informed Lens
For trauma survivors, authority can be a trigger. Attempts at control often replicate patterns of domination, betrayal, or abuse. Neuroscience confirms that betrayal and rejection activate the same neural pathways as physical pain.
Trust, on the other hand, signals safety. It communicates: I see you. I won’t exploit you. I will not use your vulnerability against you. This allows the nervous system to shift from survival to connection, releasing oxytocin and dopamine, which fuel cooperation and creativity.
Trust is not sentimental—it is physiological infrastructure.
Anatomy of Trust
Psychologists Mayer, Davis, and Schoorman identify three building blocks of trust:
Competence – Can this leader deliver?
Integrity – Do words align with actions?
Benevolence – Does this leader care beyond self-interest?
All three must be present. A competent but dishonest leader collapses integrity. An honest but uncaring leader collapses benevolence. Trust is holistic—it requires skill, congruence, and care.
Constancy in Storms
Trust must be constant, not conditional. Like a lighthouse, it must shine in both calm seas and storms.
Consider Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. When both engines failed on US Airways Flight 1549, he didn’t spin or stall, and he didn't offer false reassurances. He calmly instructed: “Brace for impact.” That steadiness, rooted in competence and transparency, anchored 155 lives until they landed safely on the Hudson River. Trust held, even as everything else collapsed.
The Fragility of Betrayal
Trust builds slowly but shatters quickly. Breaches can come through small acts: promises broken, unequal standards, silence in the face of harm. Each breach whispers: the lighthouse cannot be trusted. Over time, culture corrodes into cynicism and self-protection.
Repairing Trust
The good news: trust can be repaired. Authentic repair requires four steps:
Acknowledgment – Name the breach clearly.
Apology – Offer a sincere, unqualified apology.
Action – Make visible changes.
Accountability – Allow others to hold you answerable over time.
Research in both marriages and organizations confirms that repair is one of the strongest predictors of resilience. Repair is not weakness—it is leadership.
Trust in Crisis Leadership
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the most trusted leaders weren’t the ones with all the answers. They were the ones who said: Here’s what we know. Here’s what we don’t. Here’s what we’re doing next.
Transparency, consistency, and acknowledgment of uncertainty built credibility, even when choices were unpopular. Trust doesn’t demand perfection; it demands honesty.
Personal Compass
As a survivor of human trafficking, abuse, and domestic violence, I carry the scars of betrayal in my own body. I know what it feels like to live under leaders whose words don’t match their actions. That’s why my leadership compass points fiercely toward trust.
I can’t promise perfection, but I can promise constancy. The beam will hold.
Practical Takeaways
Anchor in competence, integrity, and benevolence.
Build constancy, not conditional trust.
Repair breaches swiftly and humbly.
Recognize trust as physiological infrastructure, not just philosophy.
Trust is your true currency. Guard it fiercely, spend it wisely, and repair it humbly. With trust, leadership becomes not just a title but a movement.
Call to Action
If this message resonates with you, I invite you to go deeper.
📅 Book a call with me to explore how Trauma-Informed Leadership training can transform your leadership or your organization: Schedule here.
🔥 Join the Trauma-Informed Leadership Course and Community to gain CEU-accredited training, tools, and a supportive network committed to building leadership that heals. (Link coming soon.)
