Some of the most committed-looking teams are just trapped.
There is a hard line between lock-in and trust. Lock-in is when people stay because leaving is costly: too much equity, too many burned bridges, too much identity tied up in the bet. Trust is when people with real options still choose the group.
The test is simple: would they leave if they could?
If the answer is yes, you didn’t build trust. You built dependency. That can produce compliance for a while. It does not produce candor, resilience, or the kind of honesty you need when the ground is moving.
This matters now because more leaders are trying to force cohesion through intensity, implication, and sunk cost. Don’t confuse trapped people with bonded people. If you want truth under pressure, build the kind of place people are free to leave and choose not to.