Let’s be real.
You’ve probably said this before. Or at least thought it:
“I can’t trust my team.”
And I get it.
They don’t move fast enough.
They forget small things.
You have to remind them again and again.
That’s tough—especially when you are the one who has to face the client, protect your business, and make sure things are done right.
But after 50 years of leading teams, I’ve learned something important:
When you say, “I can’t trust my team,” what you really mean is… they can’t trust you.
That’s a hard truth.
Because trust isn’t just a feeling—it’s something you build.
It comes from the way you lead, talk, and act when no one is watching.
My Wake-Up Call: The Trap I Didn’t Know I Was In
Howdy, I’m Henry Chidgey. I’ve worked in the rail and blue-collar world for most of my life. I’ve led teams, coached business owners, and built companies.
But I didn’t start as a good leader.
I started as a control freak. Another way to look at that is I was a polite bully.
I treated folks with respect, but very controlling.
I thought I had to do everything myself to make sure it was done right.
I watched over people’s shoulders.
I corrected every mistake.
I stepped in all the time.
And guess what?
I was teaching my team to stop thinking for themselves.
They weren’t lazy.
They weren’t bad workers.
They just didn’t get the chance to grow.
Because I created a team that waited for me to tell them what to do.
That’s not leadership.
That’s micromanaging.
What I Did to Change
I knew something had to change—and it had to start with me.
So, I created something which I now call the T.R.I.P. Leadership Method.
T.R.I.P. stands for:
- Trust – Means stepping back and letting people make decisions… and even mistakes.
- Respect – Listen first. Don’t judge right away.
- Integrity – Do what you said you’d do, even if it’s hard.
- Purpose – Help your team remember why their work matters. More than just a job.
When I started doing this, everything changed:
- My team took more ownership.
- Work got better—without me checking every step.
- And I could finally relax, even step away—and things still ran smoothly.
Want to Know the Truth About Your Leadership?
If you feel like you always have to be there to make things work…
If you can’t take a break without worrying…
If you feel like you are the glue holding everything together…
I want to give you something that helped me a lot.
👉 Take my free, 60 second, T.R.I.P. Leadership Quiz: trip.henrychidgey.com
It’s quick. It’s easy. And it’s honest.
You’ll find out what you’re doing well—and what might be holding your team back.
This isn’t about blame.
It’s about clarity.
And when you’re clear… you can grow.
👉 Start here: trip.henrychidgey.com