There’s no question performance matters. It’s usually front and centre when it comes to reviews, bonuses, and promotions. But what happens when trust starts to erode within a team, or was never there to begin with? So here’s the real question. When it comes to trust vs performance in the workplace, most businesses are measuring the wrong thing.

What the Navy SEALs Can Teach Us About Hiring

Simon Sinek worked with the Navy SEALs, one of the highest performing teams in the world, and asked how they chose who made it into their most elite unit. His takeaway was simple. Trust trumps performance every time. We are talking about a relative scale here because everyone in that environment is already an elite performer. But when it comes down to choosing between top tier candidates, they will choose a lower performer with high trust over a high performer with low trust every single time.

What Do We Mean by Trust vs Performance?

Sinek explains it in a way that cuts through the noise. Performance is whether you would trust someone with your life. Trust is whether you would trust them with your money and your family. Ideally, you want both. In reality, that combination is rare.

The People You Need to Watch

High performance and low trust people are easy to find. They hit targets, deliver results and often look like your strongest employee on paper. But they can also be toxic to team culture, self serving and damaging to morale. This is your classic high performer with low trust and they can quietly undo your business from the inside. On the flip side, a medium or lower performer with high trust is often overlooked. These people support others, build strong relationships and create stability within the team. In many cases, they are the ones lifting everyone else’s performance.

The Mistake Most Businesses Make

Most businesses reward what they can measure. Sales results, output and productivity. So the high performer gets promoted, even when their behaviour is causing damage. The problem is we rarely measure trust, but we feel the impact of it every day. As we often say at HR Staff n’ Stuff, the behaviour you walk past is the behaviour you accept. If a high performer is creating a low trust environment and nothing is done, that behaviour becomes your culture.

What Strong Leadership Actually Looks Like

The ideal employee is someone who delivers results and builds trust at the same time. They support their team, contribute to a positive environment and focus on collective success, not just their own. This is the person who drives long term, consistent performance. Not the one who looks good on paper but leaves a trail of damage behind them.

So Who Should You Promote?

The best person at their job is not always the best person to lead others. Before promoting someone, ask yourself if people trust them, if they lift others or compete with them, and what happens to the team when they are in charge. Leadership is not just about output. It is about the environment someone creates.

Why Trust in the Workplace Matters More Than You Think

Trust does not show up neatly in a report, but it shows up everywhere else. In engagement, retention, team performance and how people show up to work each day. If you want a team full of high performers, you do not start with performance. You start with trust.

Final Thought

It is not always the obvious person who should be promoted. The highest performer is not always the best leader. Sometimes the real value sits with the person quietly creating an environment where everyone else can succeed. If you get that right, performance tends to follow.

A great video to watch is Simon Sinek talk on this subject, click here.  

Of course, you can contact HR Staff n’ Stuff if you want help in better assessing and understanding the talent in your business. How you can restructure your teams and develop your key employees so you can bring the best out in them while building a successful and sustainable business.

If you need help assessing trust, performance or making the right leadership decisions in your business, reach out to HR Staff n’ Stuff. We can help you take a proper look at what is really driving results in your team.

FAQs on Performance vs Trust

Is trust more important than performance in the workplace?

Trust is often more important for long term success. While performance delivers short term results, a lack of trust can damage team culture, reduce engagement and lead to turnover. High trust environments tend to produce more consistent and sustainable performance.

Can a high performer still be a problem employee?

Yes. A high performer with low trust can create conflict, reduce morale and negatively impact the wider team. These employees often look good on paper but can cause long term damage if their behaviour is not addressed.

Should I promote the best performer in my team?

Not automatically. The best performer is not always the best leader. You should assess trust, behaviour and their impact on others before making a promotion decision.

How do you measure trust in the workplace?

Trust is not always measured through formal metrics but can be observed through behaviour. Look at how someone communicates, supports others, handles conflict and whether their team respects and relies on them.

What happens if you ignore toxic high performers?

If left unchecked, toxic high performers can damage culture, increase staff turnover and reduce overall team performance. Over time, this can have a bigger impact on the business than the results they deliver.