Mistakes Suck.
Mistakes suck, especially common leadership mistakes. They bring up all the emotions: embarrassment, frustration, anger. Part of you wants to defend your pride, to prove you weren’t wrong. That’s an option, but the cost is your peace, your credibility, and your trust in leadership.
That’s leadership.
Maybe you’ve been there.
You pour your heart into something you believe in, you take the risk, and just when the momentum builds. Something unexpected knocks you down. These moments test your leadership credibility and reveal how committed you are to leading with trust. That’s what happened to me.
And… it’s embarrassing.
I spent two years writing a book I deeply believed in, a trust based leadership book designed to help managers lead with more clarity and confidence. The stories, tools, and frameworks were all created to support building trust as a leader.
It took off.
Won awards.
Landed in companies.
Helped real people and real teams.
Then, I got the legal letter:
Cease and desist.
I was shocked. Frustrated. Embarrassed is an understatement. But moments like this reveal how leaders build trust, not by avoiding the setback, but by choosing the response that aligns with leadership and trust.
Don’t fight it. Fix it.
We pulled the old title, reimagined the experience, and published a full-color edition with better visuals, deeper insights, and a brand-new Trust Audit™, all designed to strengthen leadership development, and help managers improve leadership presence in every interaction. Today, I’m proud to introduce myself.
Managers Who Build Trust: Your Playbook for Bringing Out the Best in Others.
If you’re leading a team and want to lead with more clarity, connection, and credibility, this is the best book for managers in leadership.
Your team deserves a leader who’s present, honest, and willing to have the real conversations. This book is your playbook to get there: practical, powerful, and no fluff.
Managers Who Build Trust: Your Playbook for Bringing Out the Best in Others
→ Grab your copy on Amazon
Already read it? Leave a review to help another leader.
→ Leave a review on Amazon
Check out this TikTok video on key parts of the book!
Thanks for believing in this work and for being a leader who’s willing to do it differently.
Let’s keep building trust, together.
TRUST TAKEAWAY
Trust isn’t about never messing up. It’s about how you respond to the mess-ups. Every setback is an opportunity for trust based leadership to come alive.
One of my favorite leadership books comes from Colin Powell — It Worked For Me: In Life and Leadership. He offers some rules for leadership and there’s one in particular I try to apply in life: “Get mad then get over it.” Not everything is going to go our way. Some people won’t take our recommendations. Some people will disappoint us. And there will be times when we drop the ball and disappoint others. It’s okay to get angry, embarrassed, and upset. Then we have to pick ourselves up and ask, “What choice would I make if I was focused on building trust?” Then move toward that answer – especially when it’s hard.
YOUR TRUST CHALLENGE
Ask this question: “What’s one thing I can do to make this right?”
People trust leaders not because they’re perfect, but because they model how leaders build trust through real accountability. This one question shifts you from defending the mess to repairing the moment and that’s what keeps trust intact.
WATCH JUSTIN: KEYNOTE SPEAKER ON TRUST
