ABSTRACT
The authors approach trust from various conceptual levels such as the individual, team, and organizational, and they further discuss the personal traits, behaviors, and practices of leaders that are likely to enhance their own trustworthiness as well as trust placed in the team and the organization. The authors define trust in an interpersonal referent at the individual level, as a psychological state that comprises the willingness to accept vulnerability based on positive expectations of a specific other or others. If we contemplated the role of leadership, perhaps the first characteristic that would pop out is that a leader exercises influence over other people. Another important benefit of trusting the leader is the establishment of a climate that promotes open communication. Research on trust among team members reveals that it affects team performance and the sense of psychological safety. Finally, the field of interorganizational trust is the least documented, yet it is growing.
