Anton Guinea
Entrepreneur, Speaker, bestselling author, and founder of The Guinea Group of Companies. For over 15 years, Anton has helped leaders move their teams to become psychologically safe, physically safe and overall better versions of themselves.
What would happen if your team trusted you enough to tell you everything you didn’t want to hear?
I’ve asked that question in rooms full of leaders and the answers are always revealing. Some say they’d be better off. Others admit it’d probably sting at first. But here’s the truth: trust isn’t about comfort. It’s about safety. And that’s where the real progress begins.
Trust isn’t earned through silence
I used to think that a quiet team was a happy one. That if no one was raising issues, we must be on the right track. But over time, I realised something was off. People weren’t silent because they agreed. They were silent because they didn’t feel safe.
And let’s be honest, that kind of culture doesn’t build high-performing teams. It builds avoidance. It rewards people for playing it safe, for keeping their head down, and for protecting themselves instead of helping the group improve.
We talk a lot about performance, accountability, and results. But underneath all of that is one question: can your team tell you the truth?
What trust really looks like in practice
Trust isn’t a buzzword we throw around at conferences. It shows up in the small moments. Like when someone gives you bad news early because they know they won’t be punished for it. Or when a junior team member suggests something bold because they believe their voice matters.
I’ve written before about the value of becoming a more trustworthy leader, and I stand by this: you don’t build trust by demanding it. You build it by modelling it. That means listening before speaking. It means being honest when it’s hard. And yes! it means being willing to have uncomfortable conversations.
Safe conversations are the currency of trust
I’ve had conversations that changed the course of a project. I’ve had conversations that saved someone’s job. And I’ve had conversations that broke through years of resentment and miscommunication.
And the one thing those moments had in common? They felt safe.
Not easy. Not soft. But safe. And that distinction is critical. Because when people feel safe, they stop calculating risk and start contributing fully. That’s the trust dividend. You get the full version of your team, not the filtered one.
How psychological safety feeds trust
If you’re not actively building psychological safety, trust will always be conditional. People might trust you on a good day but pull back the moment things get hard.
This is something we address directly in our speak safe training. Creating a safe space means more than a one-off workshop. It’s about building habits that tell your team: “You’re safe here even when you disagree.”
We go deeper into this in our article on how to cultivate psychological safety. Because without that foundation, trust will always be shallow.
Leaders go first
One of the most meaningful pieces of feedback I’ve ever received came from someone who said, “You make it okay to speak first.” That floored me. Because it reminded me that leaders set the tone.
If you want your team to be honest, go first. Share the hard stuff. Admit when you don’t have the answer. Apologise when you mess up. Speak with intention. And listen like it matters. Because it does.
The business case for trust
This isn’t just feel-good leadership talk. There’s real evidence to back it up. Gallup’s research shows that when employees trust leadership, engagement rises and turnover drops. And we’ve seen in our own work that high-trust teams are more willing to innovate, to take smart risks, and to support each other when it counts.
It’s not a mystery. When people feel safe and heard, they do better work. Simple as that.
Signs your team doesn’t feel safe
Here’s what I tell leaders to look for:
- Team meetings are quiet or one-sided.
- Ideas flow up, but feedback doesn’t come back down.
- People wait until after the meeting to share the truth.
- You’re hearing “I didn’t want to say anything but…” more than you should.
If any of those ring true, it’s time to shift the culture. Because silence is a sign. And not a good one.
Three steps to build more trust through safer conversations
- Invite challenge early. Don’t wait for the review. Ask, “What am I missing?” as part of your decision-making process.
- Respond, don’t react. If someone takes a risk by being honest, thank them—even if you don’t agree.
- Follow through. If someone raises something, show that it led to action. Trust dies when feedback goes into a black hole.
I talk more about this in our guide to mastering leadership conversations. Because communication isn’t just about clarity. It’s about courage.
If this is something your team is struggling with
You don’t have to fix it alone. This is exactly the kind of work I do with teams across Australia. Whether it’s through a tailored leadership workshop or our speak safe training, we help leaders shift from surface-level communication to safe, strong, and honest conversations that build real trust.
Ready to chat about what that could look like for your team? Reach out to me directly. Or if you’re ready to take the first step, you can book a session here.
Because safe conversations aren’t soft. They’re smart. And they’re the foundation of every great team I’ve ever worked with.
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If you would like to learn more about Anton or The Guinea Group, please click here to book into Anton’s calendar, to:
UPGRADE your Mindset
UPSKILL your Leadership
UPLIFT your Teams