Thriving at Work: What Leaders and Employees Can Do

Before people commit to a mission, they need to believe in the person leading it. Jesus didn’t just lead with authority—He led through relationship. This fostered mutual trust and commitment to the same mission.

Why Strong Relationships Matter

Salespeople know this well—build trust before the pitch.

That’s because 88% of consumers consider trust a major factor in their purchasing decisions. People prefer buying from someone they trust, not just someone chasing a sale (1).

Leadership is no different. As a leader, you’re selling your company’s vision, values, and culture. If your words and actions don’t align, employees won’t buy in—leading to disengagement.

The Business Impact of Trust

• Feeling appreciated makes employees 5x more likely to stay, adding an average of 3.5 years to their tenure (2).

• Happy employees drive 31% higher productivity, and recognition significantly boosts engagement (3).

1 Thessalonians 5:11 emphasizes the role and power of encouragement in community: "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up."

The Leader’s Role

As a leader, you can create lasting success for the company and your team by:

✅ Forming relationships that matter – Get to know your team beyond the job titles—those hidden insights will help you build a stronger team and a more interesting workplace.
✅ Boost morale – In bad situations, stay positive and keep moving forward. Your team will follow.
✅ Encourage “dumb” ideas – Creativity starts with exploring, not polished presentations. Let others toss out rough ideas, experiment, and take ownership—without pressure to have all the answers or do all the work.

The Employee’s Role

Trust isn’t just a leadership duty—employees play a part as well in shaping the environment too. As Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."

Even in challenging workplaces, employees can lead with excellence and integrity. But in a toxic environment, it may be time to:

✅ Find a company that values trust and relationships.
✅ Speak up to help shift the culture.
✅ Start your own business built on honesty and trust.

What’s Your Next Step?

Have a story about trust (or lack of it) at work? Send me the details—I’d love to hear your stories!

Until next time,

— Amenda

Sources:

1. Marketing Charts – Trust in Consumer Purchasing Decisions

2. WebMD Health Services – Employee Retention and Recognition

3. Cooleaf – Impact of Employee Engagement on Productivity