Manage Smarter 223 — Building High-​Trust Teams with David Horsager

BY C. Lee Smith
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David Horsager, MA, CSP, CPAE is the CEO of Trust Edge Leadership Institute, Trust Expert in Residence at High Point University and The Wall Street Journal best-​selling author of The Trust Edge, The Daily Edge, and Trusted Leader. He is also a podcaster, creator of the Enterprise Trust Index™, and director of one of the nation’s foremost trust studies, The Trust Outlook. ® Horsager has advised leaders and delivered life-​changing presentations on six continents, with audiences ranging from Delta, FedEx, and Toyota to the New York Yankees, MIT and the Department of Homeland Security. His work has been featured in prominent media such as Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and MSNBC.

Through speaking, training, consulting, and coaching, David and his team at Trust Edge Leadership Institute make it their mission to develop trusted leaders and organizations. With his trademark 8 Pillar Framework, David breaks trust down into tangible steps that can be leveraged right away to build a high-​trust culture— because high-​trust leaders and organizations bring out the best in their people and get measurable results.

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In this podcast for sales managers and sales leaders, Audrey, Lee, and David Horsager discuss:

  • Building Trust in Leadership: Trust is the foundation of effective leadership. Leaders who prioritize trust can foster better team collaboration and drive organizational success.
  • The Trust Edge Model: David Horsager introduces the Trust Edge model, which outlines eight pillars of trust. These pillars include clarity, compassion, character, competency, commitment, connection, contribution, and consistency.
  • Improving Employee Engagement: High levels of trust within an organization lead to improved employee engagement. Engaged employees are more productive, innovative, and committed to their roles.
  • Trust and Customer Loyalty: Trust is crucial for building long-​term customer relationships. Companies that are trusted by their customers see higher levels of loyalty and repeat business.
  • Measuring Trust: David emphasizes the importance of measuring trust within an organization. Using tools and surveys to assess trust levels can help identify areas for improvement and track progress over time.

"Leaders don’t realize that a lack of trust is their biggest expense. They often don't see how a lack of trust affects EVERY aspect of the business!”

David Horsager

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C. Lee Smith Avatar

C. Lee Smith 

SalesFuel CEO and Founder Selling Power Leading Sales Consultant, Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst

C. Lee Smith is the CEO and Founder of SalesFuel - a firm he founded in 1989. He was named one of the world's Leading Sales Consultants by Selling Power magazine. Lee is the creator of the AdMall® and the TeamTrait™ SaaS platforms. He is also a Gitomer Certified Advisor, C‑Suite Network Advisor and Certified Behavioral Analyst.

Areas of Expertise: credibility, AI in sales, sales AI, market research, entrepreneurship, personal branding, hiring assessments, psychometric assessments, sales hiring, sales consulting 
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