This Trait is Much More Important Than High Performance for Long Term Success
The United States Navy SEALs are one of the highest performing groups anywhere. The process to become a SEAL is so vigorous, that less than 20% of those who enter the training make it to the end. They are pushed to their limits both physically and mentally so that when they are in a combat situation, they will be better prepared for any situation than any opponent they come up against.
This physical and mental training is so vital to their success that the two top attributes for a SEAL personally are high performance and high trust. High performance meaning that they are in peak physical and mental condition and their teammates are able to rely on them in a variety of difficult circumstances to be successful. High trust meaning that they have the complete trust of their teammates based on their honesty and loyalty to the team.
A SEAL that has both of these attributes in large amounts is the ideal teammate and the goal is to have everyone in the unit at that level. However, it is not always possible to have everyone performing at that level all the time. SEALs are humans after all and will not always be at their peak of performance.
This brings up a very interesting distinction that the SEALs and some of the highest performing companies make. Given the choice between a high performer with low or medium trust and a medium performer with high trust, they will take the high trust person every single time!
Honesty is a very expensive gift, do not expect it from cheap people.
-Warren Buffett
Most organizations default to high performers and hope that they will have some trust, or often are completely disinterested in the trust factor at all. They feel that performance is the most important way to advance and that trust does not matter nearly as much. What happens, however, when you have a high performer with low or medium trust is that person has the respect of those that rely on their performance, usually higher ups, but the people they work with or who they manage have no respect for them at all because they cannot trust them. This creates a toxic environment where no one feels respected and safe.
The SEALs have a totally different view of this situation, however. They realise that high performance at all times may not be possible, but that high trust is not only possible but vital. They value trust so much that they regularly accept medium performance from high trust individuals because of the cohesive nature that it has on the team and the work environment. The team becomes very tightly knit as they learn that they can completely trust each other in all circumstances without having to worry about the other persons motives or loyalty. They know that every team member supports every other SEAL and that even a mediocre performance can be overcome by that trust which allows the team as a whole to outperform.
Loyalty and trust become the most important traits that they expect and demand of each other at all times, leading to a happier and higher performing team.
Companies that adopt this mindset of high trust in all situations will definitely excel versus most companies that value performance over everything else and create toxic environments where their employees (and often clients) feel unsure of their jobs and the motivations of the company.