The Speed of Trust: How One Moment of Integrity Can Build A Leadership Foundation
- Alex Khachaturian
- Oct 24
- 8 min read
What happens when your moral compass is tested before you even know you have one.
Promise: Discover how mastering the speed of trust turns character into your competitive advantage, and integrity into your leadership edge.
TL;DR
Trust doesn’t appear by accident, it’s earned by choices made in the quiet moments.
“Smoke and mirrors” might win the sale, but it destroys credibility.
Every future leader faces a line in the sand. Where you stand when it’s crossed defines everything that follows.
Key Takeaways
Integrity is a multiplier, without it, trust collapses and speed disappears.
Young professionals don’t need decades to build credibility; they need consistency.
Character plus competence equals trust. Lose either and your reputation erodes.
Saying no to dishonesty once can change your entire career trajectory.
The real speed of trust shows up when teams stop doubting your intent.
Quick Links
Next Read
The Moment That Defined My Career
The first time I realized that trust could be broken was in a room that smelled faintly like burnt coffee and printer ink. A small office, low ceilings, everyone close enough to hear every conversation whether they wanted to or not.
I was 25, young, motivated, and eager to prove myself. At that stage of my career, I was doing everything I could to learn the industry. I lived in books and forums, shadowed mentors, stayed late after site visits just to ask the old pros why something worked the way it did.
I wasn’t special, just hungry.
So when I got paired with an experienced estimator and project manager, I saw it as an opportunity to learn how the business side really worked. How to talk to clients, how to position a retrofit, how to balance costs with value.
But what I learned that day wasn’t business, it was human nature.
We were walking through a customer’s building, clipboard in hand. The client trusted us. They’d been with the company for years. They believed we were the experts who had their best interests at heart.
The estimator smiled, confident and polished, and started listing upgrades. Except something felt off.
“These air handlers are shot,” he said, “and your control system’s a disaster. You really need to replace it all.”
Except… that wasn’t true.
I’d spent weeks learning the site, and I knew the equipment. It wasn’t new, but it wasn’t “shot.” Some components were aging, sure, but the system was stable and maintainable. This wasn’t a replacement job; it was a tune-up job.
I asked, “Are we sure about that? I trended this last week, the sequences look clean.”
He smirked and waved it off. “Kid, this is how you sell projects. Don’t overthink it.”
Then came the sentence I’ll never forget, the one that would shape the rest of my career:
“Just use smoke and mirrors. We’ll get what we need and move on to the next sale.”
Smoke. And. Mirrors.
The words hit me harder than I expected. My stomach sank. The customer trusted us to tell the truth, and here was this guy, confident, smooth, and utterly unbothered, suggesting we lie.
In that moment, everything slowed down. I looked at my boss, standing nearby, next to the CEO. Both within earshot.
And I said, clearly and without hesitation:
“I will never do what he just said.”
The room went silent.
For a second, I thought I’d ended my career before it started.
But I stood there anyway, nervous, adrenaline running, but unwilling to back down. “If that’s how this project is going to be run,” I continued, “I won’t be part of it.”
The CEO raised an eyebrow but said nothing. My boss gave me that look, the kind that says, this could go either way for you.
And then, the moment passed.
Later that day, my boss found me in the hall. “You did the right thing,” he said quietly. “Don’t ever lose that.”
It didn’t feel heroic. It felt like surviving a storm. But that one choice, to stand by my integrity when it wasn’t convenient, set a foundation that’s never left me.
That’s the real “speed of trust.” It’s not a slogan. It’s a force multiplier that turns principles into momentum.
The Fastest Way to Earn Trust on Any Team
Here’s what I learned the hard way: trust isn’t built in meetings, it’s built in moments.
People remember three things about you:
What you promise.
What you deliver.
How you handle the space between the two.
That third part. the gap, is where credibility lives or dies.
If you consistently do what you say you’ll do, even when it’s small, people stop checking your math. They stop micromanaging. They start trusting your judgment because you’ve proven that your compass doesn’t change based on pressure.
In field leadership, that’s everything.
When technicians trust their manager, they take initiative.
When clients trust their contractor, they stop shopping around.
When leaders trust their teams, communication speeds up and friction disappears.
That’s why The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey hit me like a ton of bricks years later. It didn’t teach me something new, it put language to what I already knew instinctively:
Nothing is as fast as the speed of trust.
Recommended Books
The Speed of Trust
Written by Stephen M.R. Covey
Best for: Leaders who want measurable ways to rebuild or accelerate trust on their teams.
What you’ll get: Understand the behaviors of high-trust leaders, Practical “trust deposits” you can make daily, Case studies showing how trust lowers cost and raises speed
Trust Deposits: Framework in the Field
Trust can be broken down into two components: character and competence.
Trust = Character × Competence.
If either side goes to zero, trust goes to zero.
You can be a great person who means well (high character) but never delivers, that’s nice, not trustworthy.
Or you can be highly capable but self-serving, that’s dangerous, not reliable.
You need both.
Character = Integrity + Intent
Integrity is what you do when nobody’s watching. Intent is why you’re doing it. Together, they form credibility.
Competence = Capabilities + Results
Capabilities are your skills; results are your proof. Without results, promises are just noise.
In the BAS world, this looks like:
Admitting when a control strategy you designed didn’t quite work, and fixing it fast.
Explaining why a client’s system doesn’t need a replacement, even if it costs you revenue.
Taking the time to trend before you diagnose, even when you’re behind schedule.
Those actions make deposits into what Covey calls the “trust account.” Each small act adds credit; every lie, missed follow-up, or overpromise makes a withdrawal.
When your balance runs low, people stop believing you.
When it’s high, they’ll follow you anywhere.
The 13 Behaviors of High-Trust Leaders (Field Edition)
Covey outlines thirteen behaviors that build trust. Here’s how they apply to field leadership:
Talk Straight.
Say the truth simply. No buzzwords, no fluff. “Here’s what’s happening” is faster than “Let’s revisit the alignment of our expectations.”
Demonstrate Respect.
Respect is currency. Show it to techs, coordinators, and clients equally.
Create Transparency.
In project work, that means sharing real costs, real timelines, real risks.
Right Wrongs.
When you mess up, and you will, fix it visibly and fast.
Show Loyalty.
Never throw a teammate under the bus, even when they deserve it. Talk up your team publicly; correct privately.
Deliver Results.
Integrity without competence is sympathy, not trust. Finish what you start.
Get Better.
Your team’s trust grows when they see you learning. Nothing inspires respect like curiosity.
Confront Reality.
Don’t sugarcoat bad news. Leaders who face facts are the ones people follow in chaos.
Clarify Expectations.
Most “trust issues” are actually misaligned expectations. Clarity upfront saves conflict later.
Practice Accountability.
Own your role, no excuses. Accountability isn’t punishment, it’s permission to improve.
Listen First.
Real listening accelerates trust faster than any motivational speech.
Keep Commitments.
Your word is your brand. Protect it like your paycheck.
Extend Trust.
The best leaders give trust first. It’s risky, but it builds ownership.
If you read that list and think “this sounds basic,” that’s the point. Trust isn’t complicated, it’s just rare.
Rebuilding Trust After It’s Broken
Everyone fails this test eventually.
You miss a deadline. You overpromise a fix. You make a judgment call that doesn’t pan out.
The worst thing you can do is pretend nothing happened.
The best thing you can do? Own it publicly.
A quiet apology is safe. A public one rebuilds confidence.
When you say, “That’s on me, here’s how I’ll make it right,” you’re not showing weakness. You’re proving strength of character.
Then, and this is the part most leaders skip, you follow through. Loudly.
You rebuild trust in layers, not leaps. Each consistent act becomes another deposit. Over time, people forget the mistake and remember the pattern.
That’s the real work.
Troubleshooting Trust (Symptom → Cause → Fix)
Symptom: Technicians hide bad news or problems until it’s too late.
Cause: Fear of reaction or blame.
Fix: Celebrate honesty over perfection. If bad news surfaces early, thank them.
Symptom: Clients second-guess your every recommendation.
Cause: Past overselling or missing follow-ups.
Fix: Let data talk. Trend, document, show your work. Trust follows clarity.
Symptom: Team morale drops even when business is good.
Cause: Broken promises, usually about raises, support, or recognition.
Fix: Deliver what you said you would, or be transparent about why you can’t.
Symptom: Leadership communication feels fake or overly polished.
Cause: People feel managed, not led.
Fix: Drop the script. Talk like a human. People can smell authenticity.
FAQ
Can trust really be measured?
Yes, through speed and cost. If every decision takes three approvals, you’ve got a trust problem.
How long does it take to build trust?
Longer than you want, shorter than you think. Small consistent actions build momentum fast.
What’s the difference between honesty and transparency?
Honesty tells the truth when asked. Transparency tells it before you’re asked.
Can trust survive mistakes?
Absolutely. What kills trust isn’t error, it’s evasion.
How do you teach trust to new managers?
Model it. Trust can’t be PowerPointed; it has to be witnessed.
What if you work for someone who lacks integrity?
Document your work. Protect your reputation. Decide early if that environment is worth your name.
Field Checklist: Daily Trust Exercises
Keep one micro-promise per day.
Say “I don’t know” when you don’t know.
Deliver bad news early and plainly.
Give credit publicly.
Admit one mistake each week.
Clarify intent when you make a tough call.
Ask your team: “What’s one thing I could do to earn more of your trust?”
Results & ROI: The Business Case for Integrity
Trust doesn’t just make people feel better, it makes operations faster.
In high-trust environments:
Speed increases. Decisions happen without endless approval loops.
Costs drop. Less rework, fewer errors, more initiative.
Engagement rises. People want to work for someone who has their back.
Turnover drops. Loyalty follows leadership.
In low-trust cultures, the opposite happens.
Everything slows down. Meetings multiply. Emails get longer. Confidence disappears.
Every organization has a “trust tax”, the invisible cost of doubt.
If you don’t address it, it compounds daily.
But when you invest in trust early, it compounds in the other direction, in momentum, innovation, and retention.
The ROI of trust is measurable. The impact of lost integrity is catastrophic.
Wrap-Up
I didn’t need The Speed of Trust to tell me that lying was wrong.
But when I read it years later, I finally understood what happened that day in that tiny office.
That “smoke and mirrors” moment wasn’t just about ethics, it was about acceleration.
Because here’s the truth:
Dishonesty slows everything down.
Every lie needs maintenance. Every half-truth adds friction. Every hidden motive creates drag.
But when you operate with trust, when your team knows your word means something, things move faster. Clients stop hesitating. Teams stop second-guessing. Progress becomes frictionless.
That’s the real speed of trust.
So if you’re early in your career, and you ever find yourself in a moment like mine, where the easy path asks for your integrity, remember this:
Your reputation isn’t what you say you stand for. It’s what you refuse to stand with.
Integrity doesn’t pay immediately, but it pays forever.
One Action: Pick one promise you’ve made, big or small, and deliver it today.
Personal Note: That decision to say no to “smoke and mirrors” all those years ago? It shaped everything about how I lead now, and it’s still paying dividends in speed, trust, and peace of mind.
Comments