Trust is an essential ingredient in the performance of any organization. And yet, it remains something of a mystery: why is it so slow to build, so easily eroded? A detour through neuroscience allows a better understanding of the ways in which it is built.

Paul Zak has studied the mechanics of trust over time. He observes that, unlike other species, our brains make us naturally inclined to collaborate with people from outside our immediate circle—but that certain behaviors can hinder this disposition toward trust.

Trust is underpinned by two of our brains’ characteristics. First, a highly developed cortex that enables abstraction, analysis and planning. It allows us to anticipate the actions of others and decide if we can trust them. Next, a capacity for empathy, which helps us share the emotions of others and decipher their motivations based on subtle clues. It emerges from the study that, in the corporate world, the behaviors most destructive of trust are the constant fear of doing the wrong thing (“No matter what I do, I’ll be upbraided”) and domineering behavior.

Findings that should be explored in greater depth to boost trust within your organization.

Source: How Our Brains Decide When to Trust, Paul J. Zak, Harvard Business Review, July 2019.