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Trust

Trust is the multiplier for speed, clarity, and performance. It’s the foundation of every great team—and a prerequisite for growing a high-functioning company.

You can have the best strategy, the smartest people, and the clearest vision—but without trust, your company will stall.

In The 90 Way, trust is not a soft concept—it’s a measurable, buildable asset. It shows up in your culture, your communication, your feedback loops, and your ability to execute quickly and collaboratively. When trust is high, teams move faster, speak more freely, solve problems faster, and take healthy risks. When it’s low, even basic tasks get bogged down in friction, fear, and second-guessing.

At Ninety, we believe that trust is built through character, competency, and connection—and that any one of these gaps can undermine your team’s ability to grow.

Overview

Without intentional trust-building, companies experience:

  • Low psychological safety, leading to silence instead of honest conversations
  • Slowed execution, from excessive approvals or “cover your tracks” behavior
  • Siloed teams, who don’t collaborate or share information freely
  • Leadership fatigue, as managers can’t delegate with confidence
  • Unhealthy conflict, stemming from misinterpretations or fear
  • Stalled innovation, due to fear of making mistakes or speaking up

A trust-based operating system solves these by:

  • Creating a foundation for open, constructive conversations
  • Supporting accountability without blame or micromanagement
  • Building healthy leadership models that empower instead of control
  • Reinforcing shared values and agreements at every level
  • Increasing clarity and alignment through transparent communication
  • Making culture stronger, especially during change and growth

Where there’s trust, teams move faster. Where there’s fear, everything slows down.

What Stage of Development is your business currently in? 

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Trust

Three_Dimensions_of_Trust

Key Resources & Tools

The 90 Way provides practical tools to measure, model, and build trust across your organization.

Next Steps

Education Journey: