I’m a big fan of Patrick Lencioni. His books, teachings, and resources that sharpen leadership effectiveness, enhance teamwork, and accelerate organizational performance are some of the best of all time. One of my favorites is the timeless “Five Dysfunctions of a Team.” In his iconic “results pyramid” he outlines the importance of trust in the overall performance of a functional team. Couldn’t agree more!

Some of the most dysfunctional teams I’ve witnessed have virtually no trust and thus no hope of becoming cohesive in leading with optimum outcomes.

I personally think there’s even another critical, fundamental, and behavioral layer that lies beneath trust that many leaders and CEOs overlook. You’ve no doubt heard the cliché “I don’t care how much you know until I know how much you care”. True CARE is a critical relational characteristic that becomes a bonding agent for all of our most meaningful relationships. We’ve all been stung by situations or relationships where true care was nonexistent.

Genuine care in the work environment sounds too soft and ideological. The workplace is a place to work after all. Our companies are also a platform for influence and impact. It’s going to happen like it or not – may as well make a positive.

Bob Chapman, CEO, and his team at St Louis based Barry Weymiller, committed to this idea nearly 25 years ago. The results of creating a truly caring environment and a truly human leadership philosophy have been profound. So much so you can read about it in a book called “Everybody Matters.” More on that later.

For now, think about adding a layer beneath trust called care.  It’s not just something you add like salt. It has to be genuine, authentic, and real. What would the genuine presence of that four-letter word do to your organizations ability to build trust … and ultimately industry-leading results?