Stop blaming “low engagement.” It’s a symptom, not the disease.The disease is a Trust Deficit, and it’s quietly draining your company’s lifeblood. The data is undeniable: a 50% drop in productivity and a 76% loss in engagement are directly linked to this single issue.The myth that trust is just a “soft skill” is over. Trust is a hard-wired physiological event, a measurable reaction that you are either creating or destroying with every decision you make.Leadership expert Tracy LaLonde dissects the mechanics of trust and reveals the unintentional ways leaders sabotage their own teams.

Discover

🟢 How seemingly harmless habits are devastating to your team's confidence

🟢 The neurochemical secret (Oxytocin) that fuels high-performing teams and how to trigger it on command

🟢 Why the common mantra “trust must be earned” is a recipe for micromanagement and failure

🟢 A step-by-step framework for rebuilding trust after it’s been broken—and why the responsibility is also on you, even if you’re the one who was let down

Connect with Tracy

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracylalonde/

https://www.joychiever.com/

Connect with Becky on CoachFinder

https://coachfinder.ai/coaches/becky-hayman

The Searchlight is a weekly briefing on leadership, venture, and building in the age of AI. Every Friday.https://thesearchlight.com/subscribe

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

02:36 - Confession: How I Conquered the Fear of Public Speaking

05:52 - The Post-COVID Trigger That Exposed a Global Trust Crisis

07:26 - The Great Debate: Is Trust a Skill You Learn or a Virtue You Have?

08:29 - The 2 Ways You Inadvertently DESTROY Trust Every Single Day

11:50 - Why the "Trust Must Be Earned" Mindset Is a Micromanager's Trap

12:32 - The Oxytocin Loop: Hacking Your Team's Brain for Higher Performance

14:58 - The Deadly Sin of the "Delegation Dump"

16:07 - The Shocking Data: Low Trust KILLS 50% of Productivity

19:12 - A Practical Guide to MEASURING This "Soft Skill"

24:39 - The 5 Pillars for Rebuilding a Broken Culture

28:14 - When Trust Is Broken, It's YOUR Job to Help Fix It

32:24 - Deadlines vs. Communication: What REALLY Matters to Your Team?

38:02 - A Script for Employees: How to Push Back on Deadlines Without Fear

42:01 - Final Verdict: Stop Leaving Trust to Chance. Make It Your Strategy.