Trust Strengthens Rapport Breaks

People think trust is rapport.

Good conversations. Shared interests. Getting along.

That's not trust. That's surface.

Rapport is easy.

Find common ground. Tell jokes. Be likeable. You can build rapport in an hour.

Trust is hard.

Show weakness. Admit mistakes. Ask for help. Trust takes months.

We confuse them because they feel similar.

Both feel good. Both create connection.

But rapport breaks under pressure. Trust strengthens under pressure.

Rapport is what you have before real stakes.

Trust is what you have when something matters.

You build rapport by being pleasant.

You build trust by being vulnerable first.

Most teams have plenty of rapport. Not enough trust.

They confuse the warmth of rapport for the foundation of trust.

Then wonder why the team falls apart when things get hard.

Rapport is the weather. Trust is the ground.