The Power of Trust: Interview with Adam Malone (Part 1)

In the first half of our conversation with Adam Malone, founder of The Tenacious Operator, we explore the Power of Trust — how it drives leadership, strengthens teams, and turns potential project failure into growth. From large-scale ERP rollouts to everyday collaboration, Adam shows that the Power of Trust is what truly separates good teams from great ones.

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Why the Power of Trust Matters

Adam begins with a story familiar to many project leaders: a major ERP implementation where everything looked perfect on paper. All dashboards were green, metrics were solid, and executives were confident. Yet almost overnight, the project unraveled.

The root cause? A loss of trust. Team members stayed silent about risks. Operations fixed issues without communicating them. The requirements were “complete,” but in reality, they were incomplete. When trust fails, clarity disappears — and even the best teams lose momentum.

When everyone claims “we’re on track,” but no one feels safe to speak up, the Power of Trust has already broken down.

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The Power of Trust in Psychological Safety

One of the key insights Adam shares is how psychological safety amplifies the Power of Trust. Proper safety allows people to say, “I’m concerned,” or “This might fail,” without fear of backlash.

He recommends creating space for negative feedback through deliberate questions:

• “How could this project fail?”
• “What are we not seeing yet?”

Conducting a reverse post-mortem helps uncover weak points before they become disasters. This proactive honesty fuels progress and strengthens the Power of Trust across the entire team.

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Seeing Work Clearly: The Power of Trust in Transparency

Drawing from Toyota’s famous Gemba concept — “go to the actual place” — Adam urges teams to physically and mentally visit where value is created. In manufacturing, that’s the factory floor. In software, it’s the analyst’s spreadsheet, the developer’s codebase, or the tester’s environment.

When teams observe each other’s real work, they develop empathy and shared understanding. That transparency reinforces the Power of Trust — helping communication thrive where silos once stood.

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Disagree and Commit: The Power of Trust in Alignment

Conflict doesn’t destroy trust; it refines it. Adam calls this the disagree and commit principle — a hallmark of mature teams.

Healthy disagreement surfaces risks, values, and differing priorities. Once discussed openly, the team commits to the final decision together. No finger-pointing, no second-guessing. This habit embodies the Power of Trust by turning friction into forward motion.

The Power of Trust isn’t about avoiding conflict — it’s about using it to align around shared goals.

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Guiding Principles: Building Systems Around the Power of Trust

Before a project begins, Adam recommends defining guiding principles — the rules of engagement that sustain the Power of Trust.

Examples include:

• “Customer satisfaction must stay above a 4.0 rating.”
• “Average call time can rise by no more than 10 seconds.”
• “All initiatives must deliver ROI within two quarters.”

When these principles are written down, decisions become consistent and fair. Trust grows because everyone understands how success will be measured and maintained.

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Leading Through the Power of Trust

For leaders, the Trust means striking a balance between empathy and accountability. Adam suggests two types of sponsors for every major initiative:

• An executive sponsor who clears political obstacles.
• An operational sponsor who stays close to day-to-day work.

Add in a skilled project manager who encourages honest conversation, and the Power of Trust becomes the foundation of performance — not just a talking point.

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Key Takeaways from Part 1

• The Power of Trust transforms fear into feedback and silence into success.
• Psychological safety isn’t soft — it’s how great teams stay sharp.
• Transparency fosters empathy, and empathy in turn builds trust.
• Healthy conflict strengthens alignment when teams disagree and commit.
• Guiding principles establish a framework that fosters trust.

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Connect with Adam Malone

If you enjoyed this conversation and want to learn more from Adam, he’s always open to sharing insights and connecting with like-minded professionals.

• LinkedIn: Adam Malone on LinkedIn
• Website: http://thetenaciousoperator.com/

Visit him on LinkedIn and drop him a message to continue the discussion around leadership, reliability, and building consistent customer experiences.

Coming in Part 2: Adam returns to discuss how culture, consistency, and clarity sustain Trust across global teams — and how leaders can turn these lessons into long-term results.

Subscribe or follow the Building Better Developers podcast to catch Part 2 with Adam Malone.”

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Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community

We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting, there’s always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at [e-mail] with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let’s continue exploring the exciting world of software development.

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Additional Resources

• Passive Networking and Building Trust
• Building Customer Trust in Business: Turning Mistakes into Opportunities
• Trust But Verify – Avoid Business Assumptions
• Building Better Foundations – With Bonus Content