This June, the journal Occupational Medicine published one of the largest studies on how leaders' trust behaviors affect the people they lead.
Researchers led by Thomas Britt, a Clemson psychologist and former Army research psychologist, worked with colleagues at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research to survey 6,384 soldiers in an infantry division at a Midwest Army post. Soldiers rated their immediate supervisor on five trust behaviors:
Behaves consistently,
Has integrity,
Communicates effectively,
Delegates effectively, and
Cares about soldiers.
The researchers then looked at four outcomes: depression symptoms, alcohol misuse, how ready soldiers felt for their mission, and flourishing, meaning a sense of purpose, supportive relationships, and engagement in daily life.
Consistent with other research on trust, three of the four outcomes moved with trust. Soldiers who saw more trust behaviors from their leaders reported:
Fewer depression symptoms (p < 0.001),
Higher confidence in their unit's mission readiness (p < 0.001), and
Greater flourishing (p < 0.001)
The researchers also addressed the objection often raised that trust behaviors are just another way of saying "good leader." The researchers tested that by also measuring overall leadership effectiveness, plus workload stress and rank. The trust behaviors were still clearly linked to better outcomes on their own.
For mission readiness, trust behaviors were the strongest predictor, carrying nearly three times the weight of general leadership. For depression, once trust behaviors were in the picture, general leadership no longer had a significant link. Being a "good leader" in the broad sense wasn't enough. The specific behaviors mattered.
The fourth outcome deserves an honest mention too. Trust behaviors had no statistically significant link to alcohol misuse. That keeps us from treating trust as a cure-all. It's powerful, not magic.
Like any survey based on self-reports, this study shows a connection between trust behaviors and outcomes and not proof. Still, with more than 6,000 people in some of the most demanding jobs there are, it's a connection worth taking seriously. The authors expect the findings to extend to other high-risk work, such as policing, firefighting, and emergency response.
I've never led troops, but I've seen how much a kept promise can matter when things go sideways. Years ago, I was leading a competitive in-licensing opportunity for a novel sleep drug. I had promised an aspiring marketer on our team, though not one of my direct reports, that she would present our pitch to the senior leaders we were meeting with in Copenhagen. She came from a deeply scientific background and had never presented in a setting like that, so giving her the spotlight was a real risk.
The day of the meeting, a lightning storm knocked out the electricity, and just about everyone suggested we call it off and go home. Instead, I worked with our partner to keep the meeting going, and we all huddled around her battery-powered laptop while she presented. She did an excellent job, and we eventually won the competitive bid. This high-stakes presentation gave her new self-confidence, and she went on to an even greater career.
Looking back, what stays with me isn't winning the deal. It's what that moment did for her. Keeping my word showed consistency and integrity, and handing her the pitch was delegation. Those are three of the five behaviors Britt's team measured, and their findings follow the same pattern: when leaders practice them, the people counting on them tend to feel more confident, more ready, and more likely to flourish.
What's encouraging is that none of the five is a grand gesture. They are behaviors, and behaviors can be learned. You may not be able to change your personality, but you can decide to keep your word, show up the same way under pressure, and follow through when everyone else is ready to go home. Your team is watching for exactly those moments.
Source: Britt, Bliese, Boucher, Quartana & Adler, "Leader trust behaviours as predictors of functional outcomes in infantry soldiers," Occupational Medicine, Vol. 76, Issue 5, June 2026, pp. 332 to 338. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqag049
THE BOTTOM LINE
In a survey of 6,384 infantry soldiers, those whose immediate supervisors behaved consistently, acted with integrity, communicated effectively, delegated well, and showed genuine care reported fewer depression symptoms, Higher confidence in their unit's mission readiness, and higher flourishing (all p < 0.001). Those links held even after accounting for overall leadership effectiveness, workload stress, and rank, meaning trust behaviors made a difference beyond simply being a good leader. The researchers recommend training leaders in these specific behaviors, with an emphasis on authenticity.
Trust isn't what you say in the briefing. It's what you do after it.
-- Michael Rabinowitz
WINNING MOVES
Make fewer promises, and keep all of them. Commit to two things and deliver both rather than committing to five and delivering on four. People remember the one you missed.
Be the same leader on a bad day. Consistency is the first of the five trust behaviors in this study. Your team shouldn't have to check your mood before bringing me a problem.
Extend trust before it feels safe. Not every presentation needs to come from a seasoned salesperson who has done it many times before. Trusting someone new and different was a big part of why my colleague rose to the moment, and why our partner trusted her back.
If you want to dig deeper into the trust side of leadership, please read Win Via Trust or subscribe below for future Trust Lens newsletters.