Unlocking Integrity: Trust and Values in Action

Trust is the foundation of strong relationships and the bedrock of effective leadership. Without trust, teams struggle to collaborate, leaders lose influence, and organizations falter. Yet, trust is not something that can be demanded—it is earned through consistent, values-driven actions.

Leadership is more than a title; it is a choice. Leaders are those who enter a room and leave it better than they found it. They cultivate trust by aligning their words and actions with their values, demonstrating integrity in both small and significant ways. As Stephen Covey reminds us, leadership requires continuous self-improvement—“sharpening the saw”—to sustain trust and credibility over time.

This module explores the essential role of trust in leadership by examining:

  • What trust is and why it matters in relationships and teams.
  • The behaviors that build or break trust, including the four foundational elements: Reliability, Sincerity, Competence, and Care.
  • How to rebuild trust when it is broken through intentional, values-based actions.
  • The role of personal values in leadership, and how aligning behavior with those values demonstrates integrity while fostering trust and credibility.

Trust does not develop overnight, and it is often tested in challenging moments. Leaders with integrity recognize that every action—every decision—either strengthens or erodes trust. They understand that trust is not just about direct communication but about influence: a well-placed act of encouragement, a difficult truth spoken with sincerity, or a decision that aligns with deeply held values.

As you begin this module, take a moment to reflect: Who are the leaders in your life that you trust the most? What specific qualities make them trustworthy? These reflections will guide you through the learning process, helping you recognize how to cultivate trust in your own leadership journey.

Lastly, we will discuss the importance of leadership and management in your own work setting and introduce your two main assignments. The first is the Individual Learning Plan or ILP, which will require you to consider which leadership and management skills you wish to strengthen. The second is your final presentation. At the end of the course you will synthesize your learning from the course into an inspiring and reflective narrative about your personal leadership journey. In this first module, we will walk through the requirements of this presentation.
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Learning Objectives

After completing this module, you will be able to:

  1. Analyze the behaviors of leaders with integrity in your life and identify the key trust-building qualities they demonstrate;
  2. Define trust and examine its importance in relationships and teams, including the impact of trustworthy and untrustworthy behaviors;
  3. Describe the four essential elements of trust—Reliability, Sincerity, Competence, and Care—and apply them to leadership scenarios;
  4. Evaluate strategies for rebuilding trust and practice using a structured approach to trust repair conversations; and
  5. Articulate personal core values and their connection to expectations and leadership behavior.

Video: Integrity (4 minutes)

Integrity in leadership and management means consistently acting in line with your espoused values and the expectations you have expressed for others and yourself. It means being honest, fair and ethical, even when faced with difficult decisions. It is the foundation of trust, as leaders who demonstrate integrity create a reliable and transparent environment where others feel safe to contribute and collaborate. By aligning actions with core values and actively listening to others with empathy and respect, leaders reinforce their credibility and foster deeper, more meaningful relationships with their teams.

Downloads: Video (16 MB), Audio (2 MB), Transcript

Reading: Three Leadership Essentials: Integrity, Courage, Empathy (20 minutes)

This article illustrates how emotional intelligence and core values intersect to create leaders who inspire, empower, and drive meaningful results.

Download PDF

As you read the article, self-reflect on the following questions:

  • Think of a time when you had to deliver difficult news to a colleague or team. How did you approach the situation, and what did you learn about your ability to lead with integrity?
  • In what ways do you balance achieving your own professional goals with demonstrating empathy for the people you lead?

Video: Trust (6 minutes)

Trust is foundational to workplace culture, yet the two are not always directly correlated. A positive work culture does not automatically equate to high trust, but in a toxic culture, trust is often eroded. Building trust requires deliberate effort and an understanding of its key components.

As Stephen Covey says, “If people can trust each other, it's like a multiplier effect for everything else that they're doing.” He continues, “Their ability to collaborate goes up, to partner goes up, to create great high-performing teams goes up when there's trust.”

Trust allows different parties to focus on their respective responsibilities instead of each party being responsible for everything, all the time. We are not experts in all fields, and by allowing the experts to do their jobs, we don’t interfere with their work, and we have time to focus on whatever area on which we focus. Those of us who do wish to know how most things get done don’t have time to be competent in all imaginable areas of life, or even the fields in which we work.

In this next video, guest speaker Richard Wilkinson discusses the importance of trust in leadership and what it means to be trustworthy.

Downloads: Video (15 MB), Audio (3 MB), Transcript

As you watch this video lecture, self-reflect on the following questions:

  • Are there specific strategies to repair broken trust, both at the individual and organizational level?
  • How can trust behaviors be reinforced systematically, such as through policies, training, or team rituals?
  • What role does self-trust (belief in one’s ability to deliver) play in fostering trust with others?

Reading: Trust at Work Field Guide (30 minutes)

In this reading excerpt from the Trust at Work Field Guide, Charles Feltman expands our understanding of trust—not as a vague feeling, but as a conscious decision to make something we value vulnerable to someone else’s actions. He explores how trust and distrust operate in our thoughts, bodies, emotions, and behaviors, and emphasizes the importance of intentional, wise trust-building. This excerpt offers practical insights into how leaders can build, assess, and repair trust using four clear domains: Care, Sincerity, Reliability, and Competence.

Download PDF

As you go through the highlights from this reading, self-reflect on the following questions:

  • Consider your current team organization. What are the contributing factors to the level of trust you experience there?
  • On a more personal level, what are you doing now that makes you worthy of someone’s trust?
  • What characterizes the relationships on your team or organization now? How open and generative are they? How closed and dismissive? What actions will help elevate the culture from wherever it is today?
Source: Feltman, C. (2024). The Thin Book of Trust, Third Edition (3rd ed.). Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Video: Building Trust Amongst Your Team (4 minutes)

This brief video vignette with guest speaker Dr. Geoff Baird (University of Washington), talks about building trust amongst your team.

Downloads: Video (12.7 MB), Audio (1.9 MB), Transcript

Video: Trust vs. Distrust (10 minutes)

One important aspect of trust is that it can take a long time to build and develop, while it can be damaged very quickly. We have all been pleased and disappointed by some experiences we have had regarding trust. It is an important part of decision making or choosing between options.

Downloads: Video (36.6 MB), Audio (4.6 MB), Transcript

After you watch the video lecture, self-reflect on these five questions about distrust from Charles Feltman:

  • How do you behave when you distrust someone?
  • How does it affect you? How does it affect the person you distrust?
  • How do your reactions affect other people around you?
  • What effect does distrust have in teams?
  • What signs would tell you someone may distrust you?

Video: Vision and Trust (3 minutes)

In this video, Dr. Ndwapi of Botswana offers valuable insights on trust and management behavior. He emphasizes how crucial it is that a manager’s words and actions align in order to build trust in a successful work environment.

Downloads: Video (11 MB), Audio (2.7 MB), Transcript

Activity: Leadership Self-Assessment (20 minutes)

This activity is non-graded.

Who are leaders in your life with integrity and trust building qualities? While you think about that, complete the following leadership self-assessment.

Download Self-Assessment Activity

ILP Assignment: Living Your Values Through Trust and Integrity (20 minutes)

Please reflect on your core values with the self-assessment you completed.

Next, download the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and answer the questions for this activity. You will use this document to complete all ILP assignments in this course.

Note: Depending on your Internet browser, you may need to right click the downloadable link and select “Save Link As…” to download the ILP file.

We encourage you to keep up with the weekly ILP assignments.

Video: Values and Expectations (6 minutes)

This lecture invites you to explore how your core values shape your daily actions and leadership identity. By clarifying the expectations that flow from your values, you build a foundation for leading with authenticity and integrity.

Downloads: Video (16 MB), Audio (2.6 MB), Transcript

After your watch the video, self-reflect on the following questions:

  • Which of my core values most influences how I lead—and how clearly do others see it in my behavior?
  • What expectations do I hold for myself and my team that directly reflect the values I say I believe in?

Video: Introduction to Your Final Presentation: Your Personal Leadership Journey (7 minutes)

This brief video with your course instructors Richard Wilkinson, Anwar Parvez Sayed, and Rama Murali introduce you to your final presentation that you will complete at the end of the course. You are encouraged to pause the video as you work through it to further review the examples shared.

Downloads: Video (86 MB), Audio (19 MB), Transcript

Quiz (15 minutes)

Please note that in this sample course there is no access to the quiz.

Go to Quiz

Module Summary

Trust is the foundation of strong leadership. It is not simply given—it is earned through actions that align with our values and commitments. Over the course of this module, you have explored the essential elements of trust, examined the behaviors of leaders with integrity, and reflected on your own values as a guide for ethical leadership.

We  explored the definition of trust and its role in shaping relationships and teams. Trust is central to collaboration and performance, but it is fragile. When broken, it takes deliberate effort to rebuild.

Next, we examined the four building blocks of trust: Reliability, Sincerity, Competence, and Care. Each of these elements contributes to the strength of our relationships and our ability to lead effectively. Without reliability, commitments are meaningless. Without sincerity, words lose their weight. Without competence, trust in our ability fades. Without care, leadership feels transactional rather than relational.

We also explored the complexities of trust repair. Every leader will, at some point, face a moment when trust is damaged—whether through miscommunication, unmet expectations, or difficult decisions. Trust can be rebuilt, but it requires honesty, accountability, and a willingness to make amends through action. The path to trust repair is not always immediate, but it is essential for maintaining credibility and fostering resilience in teams.

Finally, we turned inward, reflecting on the core values that define us as leaders. What we stand for is not just an abstract concept—it is revealed in the decisions we make, especially under pressure. When values guide our leadership, trust becomes a natural outcome. Yet, values can also be tested. Ethical leadership requires not only knowing what we stand for but having the courage to uphold those principles even in the face of competing priorities.

Trust is not built in grand gestures but in the small, everyday moments—how we listen, how we follow through, how we communicate, and how we show up for others. As you move forward, consider how you will integrate these lessons into your leadership practice. Leadership is a constant choice, and trust is the currency that sustains it.