Wednesday Wisdom
Wednesday Wisdom: Moving from FAITH to TRUST
“Have faith in the strength of your spirit. Aspire to be wise — wisdom [is] the ultimate path of your life, and it knows no limits other than those you impose on yourself.”
How do these words resonate with you?
As we close the chapter on August’s theme of FAITH and step into September’s theme of TRUST, perhaps the invitation is not simply to believe more—but to trust more intentionally.
Take a moment. Pause:
-Breathe in slowly…
-Exhale completely.
-Again...
-And once more.
Let yourself become present to what is—before deciding what should be.
Faith can help us believe in what we cannot yet see.
Trust challenges us to act on what we believe.
And that trust begins within.
As a coach, I am continually reminded that meaningful growth often begins with creating enough space for people to listen deeply—to themselves, to others, and to what is emerging.
The 2025 ICF Core Competencies place Cultivates Trust and Safety at the heart of the coaching relationship. Trust creates the conditions for vulnerability, honest reflection, new awareness, and meaningful action. (ICF)
That applies far beyond coaching. It applies to:
Leadership
Teams
Relationships
Decision-making
Change
And the relationship we have with ourselves
In uncertain and often divided times, trust cannot simply be requested.
It must be cultivated:
Through consistency.
Through integrity.
Through listening.
Through transparency.
Through honoring different perspectives.
Through doing what we say we will do.
And sometimes…
Through having the courage to acknowledge when we got it wrong.
Research continues to reinforce the importance of trust in high-performing teams and healthy workplace cultures. Harvard Business Review identifies behaviors such as keeping colleagues informed, sharing credit, addressing tension, and engaging constructively with disagreement as important elements of team trust. (Harvard Business Review)
And Gallup’s current U.S. workplace data offers a sobering reminder: only 20% of employees strongly agree that they trust the leadership of their organization. (Gallup.com)
So perhaps the question isn’t:
“Can I trust them?”
Perhaps we should also ask:
“What am I doing that makes me trustworthy?”
REFLECT + EXPLORE
• What has your faith taught you about trusting yourself?
• Where in your life or leadership are you being invited to replace control with trust?
• What would change if you trusted your own wisdom as much as you trust your ability to figure things out?
• As a leader or teammate, what behaviors are you modeling that either strengthen—or weaken—trust?
• What conversation, commitment, or courageous action could you initiate this week to build trust?
For teams:
Ask one another:
What helps you feel trusted, heard, and respected on this team—and what could we do differently?
Then listen. Not to defend... Not to fix. Not to persuade.
Listen to understand.
Because trust isn’t built in one grand gesture...
It is built in the small, consistent moments when our words, actions, and intentions align.
As we move from FAITH → TRUST, may we remember:
Faith gives us the courage to believe. Trust gives us the courage to move. Wisdom helps us know when—and how—to act.
Don’t miss your opportunity to be intentional.
Trust yourself... Trust the process... Trust the power of honest reflection...
And when appropriate, give others a reason to trust you.
You don’t have to know exactly what tomorrow holds to take the next courageous step today.
Keep the faith... Build the trust... Move forward.
You got this!
Coach Tavia, PCC, MEd, MAT
#WednesdayWisdom #Trust #TrustYourself #FaithToTrust #SelfAwareness #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipCoaching #ExecutiveCoaching #CoachingMindset #ICF #ICFCoaching #CultivateTrust #PsychologicalSafety #EmotionalIntelligence #GrowthMindset #IntentionalLeadership #AuthenticLeadership #LeadWithPurpose #Resilience #CourageousLeadership #PersonalGrowth #ProfessionalGrowth #LeadByExample #KeepTheFaith #MoveForward
References / Further Reading
International Coaching Federation — 2025 ICF Core Competencies
Particularly relevant: Cultivates Trust and Safety, Maintains Presence, Listens Actively, and Evokes Awareness.
ICF Core Competencies
Harvard Business Review — “How High-Performing Teams Build Trust”
A useful leadership/team perspective on behaviors that strengthen trust and collaboration.
How High-Performing Teams Build Trust
Gallup — Leadership & Management: Trust in Leadership
Current U.S. employee data provides useful context for why trust remains such an important leadership issue.
Gallup Leadership & Management Indicators
World Economic Forum — “Why Trust-Based Leadership Is Key to Thriving in the Intelligent Age”
Explores trust-based leadership amid technological, organizational, and workforce change.
Why Trust-Based Leadership Is Key to Thriving in the Intelligent Age
Tavia Robinson
EMPOWER COACHING & CONSULTING, LLC
732.743.5012
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