May 2016. I stepped into a role knowing the entire development team had quit. Except one person and I couldn’t wait to start.
This was a full-service digital marketing agency (a subsidiary of The Oklahoman, owned by a larger holding company). The environment was full of constant change, shifting priorities, and high expectations.
We built and maintained client websites. For the clients who used us, we were a crucial part of their digital marketing presence. Our work directly powered SEO, paid media, social, and content campaigns. Had it not been for the team member that stayed, when the rest of the team walked out, organizational trust would have evaporated.
The First 30 Days
I had two non-negotiables in that first month:
First, earn the trust of the one person who stayed. They were my only source of institutional knowledge and crucial to maintaining credibility with existing clients.
Second, rebuild cross-functional trust with Sales, Account Management, SEO, Paid Media, Social, and Content.
Just before my first month ended (after a few quick wins that brought some stability), I got this text from the developer that stayed:
“Hey Terry, just wanted to say I’m sticking with BigWing for the time being. I was looking ever since [former manager] decided to leave. I think you’re a good fit and happy to work under you. In short: I’m glad you’re here.”
That message told me I was on the right path.
Building a High-Trust Team
When I recruited, I was honest. I told candidates exactly what they were walking into: bright lights, open floor plan, half-height cubicles. I couldn’t change the physical environment, but I could control and influence what mattered: autonomy, psychological safety, clear expectations, meaningful work that stretched their skills, work-life balance, and shielding the team from political noise.
From day one, I set a standard: healthy disagreement is required, not optional.
If leadership was wrong and my team was right, I backed my team. If I made a mistake, I owned it publicly. If my team made a mistake, I also owned it publicly and then coached privately. And when they succeeded, I made sure leadership knew exactly who it was on my team that delivered the win.
Over two years my team grew from 1 to 5 (excluding myself), increased revenue ~75%, improved profitability ~50%, improved operational efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, and maintained a stable, committed team.
Those results came from building trust and giving people autonomy and support to do their best work.
What I learned
Your first 30 days set the tone for your entire tenure. In a crisis, that window shrinks to days, sometimes hours.
You can’t lead a team that doesn’t trust you. And you can’t scale a team you don’t trust. Everything else flows from that.