Building Trust, Belonging, and High Performance with Mike Robbins

What happens to team performance when trust breaks down, or when employees feel they don't belong? As an HR or organizational leader, you know the stakes. When trust erodes and employees feel disconnected, the fallout isn't just cultural - it's operational. Productivity plummets, teams fall apart, and retention becomes a costly uphill battle.

At Workhuman Live 2025, Mike Robbins, author and expert on team culture, will share his insights on why creating this foundation is essential for high-performing teams. Drawing from his bestselling book,We're All in This Together,and two decades of work with elite organizations, Mike will explore how HR leaders can navigate conflict, enhance psychological safety, and help teams thrive—even in the face of adversity.

We recently caught up with Mike to talk about his upcoming session, his book, and what is generally on his mind. In this Q&A, Mike offers practical advice on building a workplace where people feel empowered to bring their full selves to work and do their best work together.

Let's hear what he has to say!

Q&A with Mike Robbins

Q: What does it mean to be an authentic leader? What does this look like in practice?

Mike Robbins: In researching, writing, and speaking about authenticity for the past 15 years, I've come up with something I call the “authenticity equation,” which is honesty - self-righteousness + vulnerability = authenticity. This means that to be an authentic leader, it is essential to operate with honesty, to remove your self-righteousness, and to be willing to embrace vulnerability.

In practice, this often looks like admitting when you don't know something or make a mistake, asking for help when you need it, being willing to address conflicts directly and in a timely way, and embracing those “sweaty-palmed conversations” that can sometimes be challenging.

Q: What strategies can leaders use to lead with authenticity during challenging times?

Mike Robbins: When times are challenging, it's important for leaders to lead themselves first and get the support they need before they think about how to lead others. One of the many paradoxes of great leadership is that taking care of yourself is essential so that you can show up for others in a genuine way. Being able to share openly about how you feel, what's going on, and some of the specific challenges can often be helpful, even if you don't have all the info or answers that people want.

Checking in with people on a human level is another important aspect of leading through challenges. You can't predict the future or guarantee that things won't change, that people will continue in their specific roles, or that it will all work out, but you can care about people, connect with them, and have their backs.

Q: What does an inclusive culture look like? What do leaders and employees alike need to practice ensuring all within the organization feel this type of culture?

Mike Robbins: As Author and Thought-leader Verna Myers so brilliantly says, “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” Inclusive cultures are ones where people are welcomed and know that they belong, regardless of their role, identity, background, geographic location, education, tenure, and skills.

Leaders have a significant role to play in setting the tone for this type of culture and can influence how they think, speak, write, hire, promote, and operate. However, it is also up to employees to operate in inclusive ways, to speak up, to make requests, and to let the people around them know if they aren't feeling included. It comes back to authenticity and everyone making a commitment to bring their true selves to work while noticing anything that might get in the way of that.

Q: What is leadership's role in managing uncertainty during times of change?

Mike Robbins: The nature of business and life, especially these days, is uncertain. It's important for individual leaders and for leadership teams to understand, acknowledge, and communicate this to their teams and organizations. In the face of uncertainty, there is often quite a bit of understandable stress and fear.

Being able to address this anxiety within themselves and others is essential. Remembering that there are really only two things you can control - your attitude and your effort - is also important for leaders to remind those around them. Staying focused, keeping things in perspective, and taking meaningful actions are all specific things that leaders can model, which can help guide their teams most effectively when uncertainty gets high.

Don't Miss Mike Robbins at Workhuman Live 2025

Mike Robbins' session, We're All in This Together: Create a Culture of High Performance, Trust & Belonging, is more than a conversation about leadership — it's a masterclass in fostering connection, inclusion, and resilience. Join Mike on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, from 11:10 a.m-12 p.m., to discover:

• How authenticity and psychological safety drive team success
• Practical ways to build trust and belonging
• Strategies for embracing feedback and addressing conflict constructively
• How appreciation boosts morale and productivity

About Darcy Jacobsen

Darcy is a passionate storyteller and champion of workforce transformation, human connection, and recognition-driven culture. As an author on the Workhuman Live Blog, she loves to connect deep research insights with modern workplace dynamics to uncover what really drives engagement, belonging, and happiness at work. With a background in communications and a master's in medieval history, she brings a unique perspective to her writing, taking deep dives into all topics around organizational psychology and the science of gratitude.