Trust is not a one-way street. Whoever gives continuously without attending to their own needs will eventually lose the foundation for it. Not out of malice, but out of exhaustion.
Over the past weeks we have talked about error culture, about unspoken expectations, and about how trust is not a one-time state but a living process.
Today: the thread that runs through all of it.
Trust develops between people. Not within one person alone. That sounds obvious. It is not.
In practice, what often happens is this: a leader invests enormously in building trust with their team. Listens. Gives space. Shows understanding. Works through conflicts. And in doing so, gradually loses sight of what they themselves need.
That is not a sign of strength. It is a warning sign.
Whoever loses themselves in giving trust and building trust is drawing from a well that will eventually run dry. And an empty well cannot give.
This does not mean that leadership should be selfish. It means that sustainable leadership only works when one's own needs are not permanently pushed aside. Whoever knows what they need, clarity, distance, recognition, time, can also communicate it. And whoever communicates that creates the foundation for honest mutual expectations.
That is what this is about.
Not perfect leadership. Not boundless patience. But a balance that allows both sides to be truly present, the team and oneself.
Trust that holds needs two people who are willing to trust. Not just one who always gives.