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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Trust Factor summary
Paul Zak
The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies
20 mins
Brief summary
Trust Factor by Paul Zak delves into how fostering trust within organizations boosts performance and employee engagement. Zak provides science-based strategies for leaders to cultivate trust, driving both productivity and a positive work environment.
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Trust Factor
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The neuroscience of trust
In many modern corporations, trust gets treated like a soft skill – nice to have, but not essential. Leaders often focus on control, rigid processes, and constant oversight. This approach seems logical on the surface: clear rules and close monitoring should lead to better performance. But neuroeconomist Paul Zak’s extensive research reveals a surprising truth. These control-heavy environments actually reduce productivity, innovation, and engagement.
Why does this happen? Trust functions as both a feel-good concept and a biological response in your brain involving a hormone called oxytocin. When you experience trust, your brain releases oxytocin, which creates feelings of connection and empathy. This biological response has measurable effects on behavior and performance.
Zak’s research shows that in high-trust organizations, employees are significantly more engaged, experience less stress, and report lower burnout than those working in low-trust environments. His studies consistently demonstrate that trust creates measurable improvements in performance metrics across organizations.
Trust creates a positive cycle, too. When leaders demonstrate trust in their teams, oxytocin rises, stress hormones like cortisol decrease, and people naturally perform better. They take more initiative, collaborate more effectively, and bring their best ideas forward. Most importantly, they enjoy their work more.
How can you apply this research? Well, to start, you can measure trust within your organization through simple surveys that assess how employees experience their workplace. These measurements give you clear insights into your organization’s trust climate right now. High-trust organizations consistently outperform their peers across nearly every meaningful metric – from productivity and innovation to employee retention and customer satisfaction.
To start building a higher-trust environment, start with little changes. Share information more openly with your team. Delegate meaningful work instead of micromanaging. Recognize achievements publicly and sincerely. These actions signal trust to people’s brains, triggering positive biological responses that improve performance.
In the coming sections, we’ll explore the practical steps and actionable advice you can use to harness the brain’s natural responses to trust. If you’re looking to create an environment where people naturally perform at their best, the science is clear: trust is a critical factor in organizational success that you can actively manage and improve.
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What is Trust Factor about?
Trust Factor (2017) reveals how the neurochemical oxytocin serves as the biological foundation for organizational trust and high performance. It presents the OXYTOCIN framework as a systematic approach for creating workplace environments where trust naturally flourishes, leading to measurably better business outcomes and more fulfilling work experiences.
Who should read Trust Factor?
- Business leaders and executives seeking science-backed approaches to improve organizational performance
- Neuroscience enthusiasts interested in practical applications of brain research
- Anyone in a toxic work environment seeking validation and language to advocate for change
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