20 Proven Ways To Build Trust Among Creative Teams

Forbes

2 days ago

Trust is a necessity in any team culture, but especially among creative teams. Without open, honest dialogue, even the most talented individuals may hold back or struggle to work together, stifling creative thought. But when leaders nurture a culture of trust, these individuals become a cohesive unit, expressing ideas openly and collaborating to achieve shared goals.
Here, 20 Forbes Communications Council members share practical strategies they've used to nurture trust within their creative teams. Follow their recommendations to encourage cohesion and camaraderie among colleagues.
1. Use Project Collaboration Systems
When team members understand each other's work, impact and dependencies, it builds trust and breaks down silos. Recommend using unified project collaboration systems, regular syncs to share work products, outcomes and learning, and shared spaces like Notion to increase transparency, interlocks and trust across marketing teams. - Anirban Datta, Anoki Inc.
2. Give Team Members Ownership And Authority
Trust starts with clarity. I ensure each team member has direct ownership of their area—with the authority and accountability to act. When everyone knows their role and delivers on it, the team becomes a well-oiled machine. This structure builds mutual respect, confidence and the trust needed for creative collaboration to thrive. - Alan Ranger, Cognigy
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3. Build Consensus First
One of the best ways to build trust is by building consensus first. When you can make sure everyone on your team is heard, regardless of the final result, people feel empowered and trust that their ideas and opinions—and most importantly, their work—matter. - Matt Nordby, NASCAR
4. Acknowledge Your Mistakes
Honesty is paramount. Building trust requires you to tell the truth while remaining outcome independent, never succumbing to perceived consequences. Sometimes this may even include acknowledging your own mistakes openly. I encourage other leaders to pursue this level of honesty with their team because it signals they can trust you with their career—ultimately the means by which they provide. - Harold Bell, Cyberhaven
5. Encourage And Demonstrate Empathy And Transparency
Trust is built through transparency by sharing information openly, setting clear expectations and acknowledging both successes and failures. Empathy is equally essential, as understanding each team member's perspective creates psychological safety and strengthens collaboration. - Anna Titulaer, Kiva
6. Create Clarity By Listening
I try to create clarity and be the leader my team needs—by listening, not always leading with my own ideas. Trust grows when everyone feels heard and involved. I believe a shared path forward, with room for inspiration and direction when needed, builds stronger, more effective teams. - Jonas Barck, Mentimeter
7. Absorb Feedback And Take Meaningful Action
An essential aspect of building trust is actively listening to feedback and taking meaningful action, either by responding directly or by empowering team members through thoughtful delegation. What truly matters is making a commitment and consistently following through, demonstrating reliability and accountability to your team. - Dayle Hall, SnapLogic
8. Find The Right Channel To Communicate
I always think about the right channel for clarity, transparency and trust. Texting, most of the time, is wrong, yet many use it as their "go-to" choice. For simple tasks or confirmation, it's okay, but not for more strategic or sensitive issues. Live, in-person (if possible) interactions help leaders demonstrate active listening, read body language and ensure their meaning is conveyed. - Mark Dollins, North Star Communications Consulting
9. Keep Your Team Informed
Consistent communication is key to building and maintaining trust among team members. In an increasingly virtual world, the only way teams can become aware of priorities, initiatives, interdependencies and cross-team impacts is when they are made aware and kept informed constantly. This way, they can plan together and iron out differences or impacts. This communicates fairness and builds trust. - Aditi Uppal, Teradata
10. Create A Culture Of Psychological Safety
Great leaders create a culture of psychological safety for their teams, which allows team members to fail safely. This encourages learning and collaboration in the forms of experimentation, risk-taking and trial and error. Without this safety, team members will avoid taking risks, follow so-called "best practices" (in reality, boring practices) and will default to stifling innovation. - Udi Ledergor, Gong
11. Allow Space For Real Conversations
I make sure to create space for real conversations, especially when things aren't perfect. Trust grows when teams know they can show up with questions, mistakes or ideas and still feel heard. Leaders who model vulnerability and curiosity build teams that stay engaged and adaptable. - Kristin Russel, symplr
12. Have An Open Channel For Questions And Knowledge Sharing
Teams should have an open channel to ask questions and share knowledge. Platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack are good options for a collaborative environment that allows the group to support each other and help each other grow by sharing information. When team members can easily tap into the entire group's experience at a moment's notice, trust grows organically. - Esther Bonardi, Yardi Systems
13. Set The Tone From The Top
Trust starts with leadership behavior. I built it by acting with consistency, transparency and respect—setting the tone from the top. I mentor rather than dictate, creating psychological safety that fuels creativity and accountability. Leaders should do the same—because culture compounds and performance follows. - Marie O'Riordan
14. Lead With Confidence And Humility
Confidence shows the team that we have a path to success, while humility creates space for others to contribute, challenge ideas and grow. When leaders model both, they create a culture where people feel safe, valued and motivated to do their best work. It's not about having all the answers, but about building the right environment to find them together. - John Schneider, Betterworks
15. Prioritize Connections And Relationships
I build trust through connection, such as through our weekly 'Fri-YAY' chats where we skip work talk and share what we're proud of. I also end meetings with highs and lows to foster openness. I've found that creative teams thrive when trust is strong. Leaders should prioritize relationships—because connection fuels collaboration and innovation. - Emily Burroughs, BGSF
16. Show Your Team You Trust Their Judgment
I build trust by giving team members ownership and showing I trust their judgment. When people feel respected and empowered, they bring their best thinking forward. Creative teams thrive when they know their voice matters and their leader has their back. - Cody Gillund, Grounded Growth Studio
17. Host Unpolished Idea Sessions
We hold weekly sessions where team members share raw ideas—no slides, no polish. This creates a space where people feel safe to speak up. When trust is strong, teams take more creative risks and support each other through feedback. - Jamie Elkaleh, Bitget Wallet
18. Encourage Shared Reflection
One way I build and maintain trust is through shared reflection: short 'share and spotlight' sessions every two weeks where team members present a recent win, new idea or learning and we discuss it openly. This fosters transparency, vulnerability and appreciation across the team—not just top-down praise. Over time, it builds psychological safety, which is critical for creative risk-taking. - Rinita Datta, Cisco Systems, Inc.
19. Normalize Imperfection
I build trust by normalizing imperfection early. I let my team know that rough drafts and wild ideas are not only welcome, they're essential. It has helped me create a space where people feel safe to take risks, which is where real creativity and impact live. - Aditi Sinha, Point of View Label
20. Prioritize Integrity
To build trust, you need to prioritize your own integrity. That means more than being honest with feedback and following through on your promises—it also means having empathy, uplifting others and feeding attributes in yourself that you wish to cultivate. If people take note of your drive and see you taking action, they'll feel safe to do the same. That's when the trust can really start to grow. - John Jorgenson, Cambium Learning Group