What's Your Trust Leadership Style?

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  When entering a new leadership role, your first priority is to ...

  • A.
    Communicate a bold and exciting vision for the future.
  • B.
    Listen for unspoken tensions and address them openly.
  • C.
    Build relationships and get to know people on a personal level.
  • D.
    Clearly define expectations and deliverables.
• 2.
  When you need to deliver hard feedback, you typically ...

  • A.
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    Frame it as part of a larger growth journey.
  • B.
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    Come prepared with facts and solutions.
  • C.
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    Lead with empathy and ask how the person is feeling.
  • D.
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    Say it like is. (you're tactful, but also direct!)
• 3.
  How do you approach decision-making in high-stakes moments?

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  • A.
    Analyze the data and consult key stakeholders.
  • B.
    Keep the long-term vision in mind above all.
  • C.
    Ask how the decision will impact people emotionally.
  • D.
    Use intuition and cut through the noise quickly.
• 4.
  How do you repair trust after a misstep?

  • A.
    Have an honest conversation even if it’s uncomfortable.
  • B.
    Apologize and ask how to make amends.
  • C.
    Rebuild credibility over time with action.
  • D.
    Own the error, make a plan, and follow through.
• 5.
  Which feedback do you most often receive from your team?

  • A.
    “You inspire us to think bigger.”
  • B.
    “You’re easy to talk to and supportive.”
  • C.
    “You’re reliable and organized.”
  • D.
    “You’re honest and keep things grounded.”
• 6.
  Under pressure, your most reliable strength is ...

  • A.
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    Guiding others to focus on long-term possibilities.
  • B.
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    Staying calm and logical.
  • C.
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    Getting real about what’s happening and what’s needed.
  • D.
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    Reading the room and responding with care.
• 7.
  What’s your approach to team culture?

  • A.
    Set norms early and lead by example.
  • B.
    Reinforce shared purpose and stretch goals.
  • C.
    Cultivate psychological safety and belonging.
  • D.
    Normalize candid conversation and mutual accountability.
• 8.
  You’re most skeptical of leaders who ...

  • A.
    Ignore people’s emotional needs.
  • B.
    Overpromise but underdeliver.
  • C.
    Avoid conflict or sugarcoat the truth.
  • D.
    Focus only on the short term.
• 9.
  People trust you because you ...

  • A.
    Help them believe in something greater.
  • B.
    Tell them the truth, even when it’s hard.
  • C.
    Genuinely care about their well-being.
  • D.
    Keep your word and meet deadlines.
• 10.
  Your personal leadership motto would most likely be ...

  • A.
    “Connection creates commitment.”
  • B.
    “Honesty earns respect.”
  • C.
    “Vision ignites trust.”
  • D.
    “Clarity builds confidence.”

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  Your style is Credibility Builder!

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  Trust through consistency, competence, and follow-through.✋ Raise your hand if your desk is covered in color-coded sticky notes, to-do lists, and neatly stacked folders because you believe order builds confidence. (Guilty as charged.)You’re the kind of leader who builds trust through reliability, structure, and clarity. You instinctively organize chaos, turn vision into timelines, and help others feel secure by showing them what’s coming next. People trust you not because you’re the loudest or flashiest voice in the room, but because you do what you say you’ll do, and you do it well.When trust is low, your instinct is to create clarity. You lead with well-defined expectations, thoughtful checklists, and a sharp eye for detail. You’re at your best when everyone knows their role, the deadlines are firm, and communication is tight.And yes, you probably love graphs, workflows, and Venn diagrams a little more than the average person.However, your precision is more than just a personal preference; it’s a leadership superpower. It sends a message: “You can count on me.”🧭 Your Trust-Building Strengths• Clarity Creator: You break down complexity into clear, actionable steps.• Reliability Rock: People feel safer because they know where you stand.• Detail-Oriented Doer: You spot gaps others miss—and fix them quickly.⚠️ Trust Falls• Over-Structuring: You may default to control when trust feels shaky.• Vision Blind Spots: You sometimes get so focused on how that you forget the why.• Struggle with Ambiguity: Unclear roles or shifting goals may stress you more than others.🌎 How to Lead with Even More Trust• When projects get messy, people look to you to steady the ship. However, remember that people trust humans, not just systems.• Try pairing your signature structure with more vulnerability, curiosity, or storytelling.• Make space for the unknown. It’s okay not to have every answer—what matters is how you navigate with integrity.🪛 Your Trust ToolkitRecommended Read:The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey — a blueprint for using your strengths to scale leadership impact.Leadership Exercise:Identify three recent commitments (big or small). Did you follow through? If not, how can you close the loop or reset expectations today?Micro-Practice:Use your calendar not just for tasks, but also for trust-building moments, such as follow-ups, shoutouts, or transparent check-ins.Fun Fact: Research shows that trust increases when leaders are predictable, not perfect. Your consistency is already building the foundation.🗺️ Next Steps for the Credibility BuilderSo, now you’ve got some tools. It’s time to sharpen them, share them, and lead with even more impact. Here’s how to keep growing with Trusted Arc Labs:1. Follow Along for Research + Tools Want weekly trust insights delivered in plain English?📍 Follow @TrustedPod on Instagram and Trusted Arc Labs on LinkedIn for trust-building micro-lessons, behind-the-scenes podcast clips, and practical prompts.We post:• Trust stats + visuals you'll want to save• Leadership checklists & mini frameworks• First looks at new guides and interviews2. Listen to the Podcast: Trust Be ToldEach week on Trust Be Told, I sit down with leaders, researchers, and change agents to explore how trust is built (and broken) across institutions, movements, and teams.🎧 Start with:• Episode 1 – It All Starts with Self-Trust | Sarah Glenn• Episode 3 – Leading With, Not Over | Erin SeheultAvailable on Apple, Spotify, and everywhere you listen.3. Book a Chat with RichardWant personalized support on building trust in your organization, team, or platform?Schedule a free 30-minute call through Calendly and let’s explore how Trusted Arc Labs can help you clarify your message, culture, or strategy.📅 Book Now: https://calendly.com/rjoroman/discovery-call. 4. Share Your ProfileYour leadership style is worth celebrating!Share your result on LinkedIn or Instagram with the hashtag #TrustLeadershipStyle and tag @TrustedPod for a chance to be featured in our next roundup or a future episode.🙂 One More Thing!Trust is built in small moments. It's how you showing up, follow through, and let people know you care.Keep showing up. You're building something that lasts.
• 2.
  Your style is Empathetic Connector!

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  Trust through emotional presence, empathy, and inclusion.🎁 You have a gift - one that can’t be taught in a textbook. You make people feel seen. Heard. Valued.As an Empathic Connector, your leadership starts with relationships. You understand that trust doesn’t begin with performance; it begins with presence. You notice emotional cues others miss, and you often become the quiet center of calm and care in high-pressure moments.You may not always be the first to speak, but you’re often the one people turn to when things get real. And while others rush to solve the problem, you take time to understand the person.You lead with your whole heart. But make no mistake—this isn’t softness. It’s strength. Your ability to create psychological safety, foster belonging, and nurture resilience makes you indispensable to any team or mission.🧭 Your Trust-Building Strengths• Emotional Insight: You sense what other needs - often even before they say it themselves.• Relational Safety: People feel safe being honest with you.• Inclusive Leadership: You center voices that often go unheard.⚠️ Trust Falls• Overgiving: You may overextend yourself or neglect your own needs.• Avoiding Conflict: To protect others' feelings, you sometimes hesitate to speak hard truths.• Emotional Absorbtion: You can carry the emotional weight of the room without realizing it.🌎 How to Lead with Even More Trust• Your strength is emotional presence. Double down on that, but pair it with clear boundaries and brave communication.• Practice saying, “I care about you, and I also need to be honest about...” to build deeper mutual trust.• Your voice matters. Don’t just be the support system—be the strategic mind in the room, too.🪛 Your Trust ToolkitRecommended Read:Dare to Lead by Brené Brown — a powerful guide to courageous leadership through vulnerability, empathy, and truth-telling.Leadership Exercise:In your next conversation, commit to speaking half as much as you normally do. Use silence, reflection, and follow-up questions to draw others out. What shifted?Micro-Practice:Before a team meeting or 1:1, jot down:“What does this person need from me emotionally?”“What do I need to say that I’ve been avoiding?”Act from both.Fun Fact: Research shows teams with high psychological safety outperform others - even when mistakes happen. You create that safety every time you listen with care.🗺️ Next Steps for the Empathetic ConnectorSo, now you’ve got some tools. It’s time to sharpen them, share them, and lead with even more impact. Here’s how to keep growing with Trusted Arc Labs:1. Follow Along for Research + Tools Want weekly trust insights delivered in plain English?📍 Follow @TrustedPod on Instagram and Trusted Arc Labs on LinkedIn for trust-building micro-lessons, behind-the-scenes podcast clips, and practical prompts.We post:• Trust stats + visuals you'll want to save• Leadership checklists & mini frameworks• First looks at new guides and interviews2. Listen to the Podcast: Trust Be ToldEach week on Trust Be Told, I sit down with leaders, researchers, and change agents to explore how trust is built (and broken) across institutions, movements, and teams.🎧 Start with:• Episode 1 – It All Starts with Self-Trust | Sarah Glenn• Episode 5 – The Business of Belief | Christine WilsonAvailable on Apple, Spotify, and everywhere you listen.3. Book a Chat with RichardWant personalized support on building trust in your organization, team, or platform?Schedule a free 30-minute call through Calendly and let’s explore how Trusted Arc Labs can help you clarify your message, culture, or strategy.📅 Book Now: https://calendly.com/rjoroman/discovery-call. 4. Share Your ProfileYour leadership style is worth celebrating!Share your result on LinkedIn or Instagram with the hashtag #TrustLeadershipStyle and tag @TrustedPod for a chance to be featured in our next roundup or a future episode.🙂 One More Thing!Trust is built in small moments. It's how you showing up, follow through, and let people know you care.Keep showing up. You're building something that lasts.
• 3.
  Your style is Visionary Architect!

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  Trust through through purpose, boldness, and future-focus.🏰 You're not here to play small. You see what others can’t yet imagine, and you’re already 10 steps ahead.As a Visionary Architect, you build trust by helping people believe in something bigger. You paint pictures of what’s possible, connect daily work to long-term goals, and ignite purpose in the people around you. When others get stuck in the weeds, you elevate the conversation to mission, meaning, and movement.Your superpower? Clarity of direction. You help people see the “why” before the “how.” You bring energy to stalled projects, momentum to stuck teams, and a refreshing dose of possibility thinking when others default to status quo.People trust you because you dare to name what matters - and then design a path to get there.🧭 Your Trust-Building Strengths• Purpose-Driven Focus: You connect work to something meaningful.• Strategic Thinking: You think in systems, not just steps.• Inspiration Engine: Your boldness helps others believe in themselves.⚠️ Trust Falls• Executive Blind Spots: Your head lives in the futue - and details may get lost.• Overpromising: In your excitement, you may commit beyond capacity.• Emotional Overlook: You sometimes prioritize vision over the lived experiences of your team.🌎 How to Lead with Even More Trust• Your ideas are gold - but trust is built in the implementation.• Ground your vision in what people need emotionally, not just organizationally.• Balance big-picture storytelling with tactical clarity: what’s the next step this week?🪛 Your Trust ToolkitRecommended Read:Start With Why by Simon Sinek - a go-to guide for building trust through vision and shared purpose.Leadership Exercise:Block 30 minutes to write answers to:1. What future are we building?2. Why does it matter?3. What’s the first courageous action we can take this week?Micro-Practice:Start meetings with a re-centering statement:“This work matters because...”Repetition creates trust. Vision creates lift.Fun Fact: Research shows that leaders who consistently tie work to purpose see a 29% increase in team engagement. You're not just leading projects - you're leading meaning. 🗺️ Next Steps for the Visionary ArchitectSo, now you’ve got some tools. It’s time to sharpen them, share them, and lead with even more impact. Here’s how to keep growing with Trusted Arc Labs:1. Follow Along for Research + Tools Want weekly trust insights delivered in plain English?📍 Follow @TrustedPod on Instagram and Trusted Arc Labs on LinkedIn for trust-building micro-lessons, behind-the-scenes podcast clips, and practical prompts.We post:• Trust stats + visuals you'll want to save• Leadership checklists & mini frameworks• First looks at new guides and interviews2. Listen to the Podcast: Trust Be ToldEach week on Trust Be Told, I sit down with leaders, researchers, and change agents to explore how trust is built (and broken) across institutions, movements, and teams.🎧 Start with:• Episode 2 – Sowing Trust | Rod Snyder• Episode 9 – From Ghosting to Growth | Michelle MagnettiAvailable on Apple, Spotify, and everywhere you listen.3. Book a Chat with RichardWant personalized support on building trust in your organization, team, or platform?Schedule a free 30-minute call through Calendly and let’s explore how Trusted Arc Labs can help you clarify your message, culture, or strategy.📅 Book Now: https://calendly.com/rjoroman/discovery-call. 4. Share Your ProfileYour leadership style is worth celebrating!Share your result on LinkedIn or Instagram with the hashtag #TrustLeadershipStyle and tag @TrustedPod for a chance to be featured in our next roundup or a future episode.🙂 One More Thing!Trust is built in small moments. It's how you showing up, follow through, and let people know you care.Keep showing up. You're building something that lasts.
• 4.
  Your style is Grounded Realist!

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  Trust through truth-telling, transparency, and pragmatism.👫 You don’t just lead - you level with people.As a Grounded Realist, your leadership is built on a steady, no-nonsense foundation. You call things like they are, not like we wish they were—and that’s exactly why people trust you. You don’t sugarcoat, spin, or perform. You’re honest, reliable, and refreshingly human.While others chase hype or overcomplicate things, you keep the focus on what’s real. You’re often the one who brings the room back down to earth, clarifies the actual problem, and quietly rolls up your sleeves to solve it. You’re not cynical—you’re clear-eyed. You believe trust is earned by telling the truth and delivering on it.You don’t seek the spotlight. You seek alignment, integrity, and clarity. 🧭 Your Trust-Building Strengths• Radical Honesty: You're unafraid to say the thing that need saying.• Steady Presence: People feel grounded and safe around you.• Pragmatic Action: You don't get lost in theory - you focus on what works.⚠️ Trust Falls• Bluntness: Your directness may come off as harsh if not paired with empathy.• Underplaying Inspiration: You may skip vision-setting in favor of "just getting it done."• Skepticism: You may distrust optimism or ambiguity when it's needed.🌎 How to Lead with Even More Trust• Your strength is truth telling. Add warmth and hope, and your influence will multiple.• Balance being grounded in reality with space for vision, curiosity, and nuance.• When others are spinning out, your calm transparency is gold —don’t underestimate it.🪛 Your Trust ToolkitRecommended Read:Radical Candor by Kim Scott — a powerful guide to delivering truth with care and clarity.Leadership Exercise:Think of a hard truth you need to deliver. Write out 3 versions of how you could say it:1. Too soft2. Too harsh3. Direct but kindUse #3.Micro-Practice:End team check-ins with:“What’s one thing we’re not saying that we should be?”Then model how to say it.Fun Fact: Studies show that when leaders pair candor with care, teams report higher psychological safety and clarity, even during conflict.🗺️ Next Steps for the Grounded RealistSo, now you’ve got some tools. It’s time to sharpen them, share them, and lead with even more impact. Here’s how to keep growing with Trusted Arc Labs:1. Follow Along for Research + Tools Want weekly trust insights delivered in plain English?📍 Follow @TrustedPod on Instagram and Trusted Arc Labs on LinkedIn for trust-building micro-lessons, behind-the-scenes podcast clips, and practical prompts.We post:• Trust stats + visuals you'll want to save• Leadership checklists & mini frameworks• First looks at new guides and interviews2. Listen to the Podcast: Trust Be ToldEach week on Trust Be Told, I sit down with leaders, researchers, and change agents to explore how trust is built (and broken) across institutions, movements, and teams.🎧 Start with:• Episode 10 - Inbox to Impact | Kyle Hagge• Episode 12 - Standing on Business | Jo NewellAvailable on Apple, Spotify, and everywhere you listen.3. Book a Chat with RichardWant personalized support on building trust in your organization, team, or platform?Schedule a free 30-minute call through Calendly and let’s explore how Trusted Arc Labs can help you clarify your message, culture, or strategy.📅 Book Now: https://calendly.com/rjoroman/discovery-call. 4. Share Your ProfileYour leadership style is worth celebrating!Share your result on LinkedIn or Instagram with the hashtag #TrustLeadershipStyle and tag @TrustedPod for a chance to be featured in our next roundup or a future episode.🙂 One More Thing!Trust is built in small moments. It's how you showing up, follow through, and let people know you care.Keep showing up. You're building something that lasts.