It’s one of the squishy intangibles that makes all the difference in our work lives. If you cannot trust your manager – if you cannot trust your team – then no one is happy. Trust must be earned and that takes time, consistency and follow-through.
There are some specific things leaders can do to help that process:
1. More face time with staff and customers
2. Be clear about priorities
3. Genuinely ask for, listen, and act upon ideas and suggestions
4. Involve more or different people in high profile projects
Bates Communication has a survey and good article with more actions cited at this link.