The Four Orientations of Trust: A LIFO® Approach to Building High-Performance Teams
Based on original Life Orientations® concepts by Stuart Atkins & Allan Katcher
Edited and Modernized by Hany Elawadly – Global Life Orientations Lead, 2025
“Trust is the currency of every relationship, and the language of trust differs by style.”
Within the LIFO® (Life Orientations) Method, trust is not treated as a vague emotional state or a personality trait. It is understood as a behavioral outcome, built and sustained through consistent patterns of action, communication, and decision-making.
From its earliest foundations, Stuart Atkins and Allan Katcher emphasized that people do not create trust in the same way. What feels trustworthy to one person may feel insufficient or even unsettling to another. LIFO® offered a practical answer to this challenge by clarifying how each orientation naturally earns trust, and how that same strength, when overused, can unintentionally weaken it.
Why Trust Begins with Orientation
Trust is rarely universal in form.
Some individuals trust through visible action. Others through care, consistency, or adaptability. Each LIFO® Orientation expresses trust through its own logic and values.
Understanding these differences allows teams to move beyond surface-level cooperation toward genuine collaboration. Rather than judging behavior as right or wrong, LIFO® invites us to ask a more productive question:
“What kind of trust is this person trying to build?”
Trust Through the LIFO Lens
How the Four Styles Build Trust Using HEAR
Harmony. Empathy. Action. Reason.
Trust is not built the same way by everyone.
Through the LIFO® lens, trust emerges from different combinations of Harmony, Empathy, Action, and Reason depending on one’s preferred style.
Each style offers a distinct trust promise, and each needs balance to stay effective.
The Four LIFO® Orientations of Trust
1️⃣ Supporting.Giving
The Trust of Care and Consideration
Core emphasis: Excellence, Ethics, and concern for people
How trust is built:
Individuals with a preference for the Supporting.Giving style earns trust by showing genuine interest in others’ well-being. They listen carefully, respond with sensitivity, and demonstrate reliability through follow-through that reflects personal concern.
People often experience their trustworthiness through questions such as:
“Is this fair to the people involved?”
“Have others been considered?”
Primary trust message:
“You matter. I care about how this affects you.”
A real-life example:
During a demanding period, a team leader regularly checked in on workload and morale, noticed when someone was struggling, and quietly adjusted priorities to keep things balanced. She followed through on commitments and ensured recognition was shared. Trust grew because people felt cared for and treated with consideration. When she later addressed a difficult performance issue directly, it was received as support rather than criticism.
When the strength is overused:
Judgmental and moralistic.
Strengthening trust:
Maintaining care while speaking honestly. Recognizing that respectful challenge can be an expression of commitment, not a violation of trust.
2️⃣ Controlling.Taking
The Trust of Action and Direction
Core emphasis: Decisive action and goal achievement
How trust is built:
Individuals with a preference for the Controlling.Taking style earns trust by stepping forward, making decisions, and producing results. Others rely on them to take charge, especially under pressure.
Primary trust message:
“You can count on me to lead and decide.”
A real-life example:
In a fast-moving project, one leader made quick decisions, clarified priorities, and pushed work forward. Momentum increased, and confidence followed, though later engagement improved when brief input was invited.
When the strength is overused:
Over-control or impatience.
Strengthening trust:
Balancing decisiveness with inquiry. Inviting input and sharing ownership while maintaining clear direction.
3️⃣ Conserving.Holding
The Trust of Stability and Steadfastness
Core emphasis: Logic, standards, and continuity
How trust is built:
Individuals with a preference for the Conserving.Holding style earns trust through careful analysis, consistency, and respect for established practices.
Primary trust message:
“You can trust me to do things properly, realistically, and systematically.”
A real-life example:
In a compliance-focused environment, one team member consistently reviewed details and ensured standards were followed. Colleagues trusted the stability provided, though change required a clearer explanation.
When the strength is overused:
Resistance to change or excessive caution.
Strengthening trust:
Communicating the reasoning behind decisions. Explaining the reasoning behind caution and distinguishing between what must be preserved and what can safely evolve.
4️⃣ Adapting.Dealing
The Trust of Flexibility and Relationship Flow
Core emphasis: Harmony and Accommodation
How trust is built:
Individuals with a preference for the Adapting.Dealing style earns trust through optimism and adaptability. They create ease in communication and connect quickly with others.
Primary trust message:
“I understand you, and I can adjust.”
A real-life example:
A team member naturally bridged differences, adapted tone and approach, and helped conversations flow during tense moments. Trust grew through connection and strengthened further when commitments were clarified.
When the strength is overused:
Inconsistency or over-promising.
Strengthening trust:
Anchoring flexibility with follow-through. Clarifying commitments and grounding flexibility in realistic promises.
The Balance That Sustains Trust
Stuart Atkins consistently emphasized that no single orientation creates trust on its own. High-trust teams emerge when all four orientations are understood and valued.
- Adapting.Dealing maintains connection and responsiveness by valuing Harmony
- Supporting.Giving contributes care and human consideration by valuing Excellence and/or Equity, and/or Ethics
- Controlling.Taking provides movement and direction by valuing Action
- Conserving.Holding ensures reliability and continuity by valuing Reason
Together, these four values form the acronym HEAR.
HEAR reflects a critical element in the creation and maintenance of trust: active listening.
When leaders truly listen, they are not only hearing words. They are sensing emotional tone (Harmony), acknowledging impact on people (Empathy and Equity), responding through timely decisions (Action), and applying sound judgment (Reason).
Trust deepens not when people behave the same way, but when leaders learn to listen through all four lenses and recognize differences as complementary strengths.
From Trust to Performance
When leaders intentionally honor all four orientations:
- Communication becomes clearer
- Accountability becomes shared
- Psychological safety translates into performance
The result is not simply cooperation, but co-creation.
Final Reflection
The LIFO® Method reminds us that trust is not granted by title or intent. It is demonstrated through behavior that aligns with what others value.
Leaders who learn to recognize and respect the different languages of trust unlock one of the most enduring advantages in organizational life: unity without uniformity.
📚 Adapted from original LIFO® materials by Stuart Atkins & Allan Katcher
Edited and modernized by Hany Elawadly – Global Life Orientations Lead, 2025
Learn more about the history of the LIFO® Method: https://lifo.bconglobal.com/what-is-lifo/history-of-lifo