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Breaking the Trust Barrier: How Leaders Close the Gaps for High Performance
Build Extraordinary Trust and Lead Your Team to a Higher Plane
For former US Air Force Thunderbirds’ commander and demonstration leader JV Venable, inspiring teamwork was literally a matter of life and death. On maneuvers like the one pictured on the cover, the distance between jets was just eighteen inches. Closing the gaps to sustain that kind of separation requires the highest levels of trust.
On the ground or in the air, from line supervisor to CEO, we all face the same challenge. Our job is to entice those we lead to close the gaps that slow the whole team down—gaps in commitment, loyalty, and trust. Every bit of closure requires your people to let go of biases and mental safeguards that hold them back. The process the Thunderbirds use to break that barrier and craft the highest levels of trust on a team with an annual turnover of 50 percent is nothing short of phenomenal. That process is packaged here with tips and compelling stories that will help you build the team of a lifetime.
For former US Air Force Thunderbirds’ commander and demonstration leader JV Venable, inspiring teamwork was literally a matter of life and death. On maneuvers like the one pictured on the cover, the distance between jets was just eighteen inches. Closing the gaps to sustain that kind of separation requires the highest levels of trust.
On the ground or in the air, from line supervisor to CEO, we all face the same challenge. Our job is to entice those we lead to close the gaps that slow the whole team down—gaps in commitment, loyalty, and trust. Every bit of closure requires your people to let go of biases and mental safeguards that hold them back. The process the Thunderbirds use to break that barrier and craft the highest levels of trust on a team with an annual turnover of 50 percent is nothing short of phenomenal. That process is packaged here with tips and compelling stories that will help you build the team of a lifetime.
216 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2016
165 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 6, 2016
Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...
From the summary of Breaking the Trust Barrier: "On the ground or in the air, from line supervisor to CEO, we all face the same challenge. Our job is to entice those we lead to close the gaps that slow the whole team down -- gaps in commitment, loyalty, and trust. Every bit of closure requires your people to let go of biases and mental safeguards that hold them back."
By the time most people complete a career, they have worked for and with many diverse types of leaders, each of whom has his or her own leadership style. Venale asserts that in work teams, trust is a component that is often missing. Leaders, then, must create an environment of trust that will bridge the many gaps that can emerge when trust is not present. He presents an eloquent argument for creating trust. He has seeded his points with insightful illustrations about how trust can transform a work environment.
Venable is a retired Air Force Colonel, a Top Gun. He commanded the USAF Thunderbirds as well as over 1000 men who flew combat aircraft. His research on leadership comes from that career experience.
Breaking the Trust Barrier is an insightful book with many valuable lessons to be learned. I received a review copy from the publicist, and I will definitely recommend it to my business students for use as a reference as they prepare their papers on leadership.
From the summary of Breaking the Trust Barrier: "On the ground or in the air, from line supervisor to CEO, we all face the same challenge. Our job is to entice those we lead to close the gaps that slow the whole team down -- gaps in commitment, loyalty, and trust. Every bit of closure requires your people to let go of biases and mental safeguards that hold them back."
By the time most people complete a career, they have worked for and with many diverse types of leaders, each of whom has his or her own leadership style. Venale asserts that in work teams, trust is a component that is often missing. Leaders, then, must create an environment of trust that will bridge the many gaps that can emerge when trust is not present. He presents an eloquent argument for creating trust. He has seeded his points with insightful illustrations about how trust can transform a work environment.
Venable is a retired Air Force Colonel, a Top Gun. He commanded the USAF Thunderbirds as well as over 1000 men who flew combat aircraft. His research on leadership comes from that career experience.
Breaking the Trust Barrier is an insightful book with many valuable lessons to be learned. I received a review copy from the publicist, and I will definitely recommend it to my business students for use as a reference as they prepare their papers on leadership.
March 13, 2025
J.V. Venable's "Breaking the Trust Barrier: How Leaders Close the Gaps for High Performance" offers a unique perspective on leadership and team building, drawing from his extensive experience as a former US Air Force Thunderbirds commander. The book presents a compelling framework for fostering trust within teams, a critical element for achieving high performance in any organization. Venable introduces the concept of "drafting" as a leadership system, inspired by the aerodynamic phenomenon observed in formations of migratory birds and racing vehicles. This analogy serves as a powerful metaphor for how leaders can create an environment that maximizes team efficiency and effectiveness. The author emphasizes the importance of overcoming biases, which he identifies as the primary barriers to trust. He argues that leaders must build a portfolio of seamless actions and engagements to inspire team members to rewrite their internal "code" and close the trust gap.
Venable outlines a three-step process for building trust:
1. Commitment: Actively engaging with and listening to team members.
2. Loyalty: Acting on the interests and passions discovered during engagements.
3. Trust: Pulling the team forward through integrity and deeply seated principles.
The book is particularly noteworthy for its practical insights, drawn from Venable's 25-year military career, including combat experience and his role as the Thunderbirds commander. These real-world examples provide readers with actionable strategies for building high-performance teams in high-stakes environments. While the book's core principles are applicable across various sectors, Venable's military background adds a unique flavor to his approach. His emphasis on the life-or-death nature of trust in fighter jet formations (with as little as 18 inches separating aircraft) underscores the critical nature of trust in any team setting. “Breaking the Trust Barrier" is not just a theoretical work; it offers a predictable, repeatable process for building trust within teams. This practical approach, combined with Venable's compelling storytelling, makes the book an invaluable resource for leaders at all levels seeking to enhance team performance and cohesion.
Venable outlines a three-step process for building trust:
1. Commitment: Actively engaging with and listening to team members.
2. Loyalty: Acting on the interests and passions discovered during engagements.
3. Trust: Pulling the team forward through integrity and deeply seated principles.
The book is particularly noteworthy for its practical insights, drawn from Venable's 25-year military career, including combat experience and his role as the Thunderbirds commander. These real-world examples provide readers with actionable strategies for building high-performance teams in high-stakes environments. While the book's core principles are applicable across various sectors, Venable's military background adds a unique flavor to his approach. His emphasis on the life-or-death nature of trust in fighter jet formations (with as little as 18 inches separating aircraft) underscores the critical nature of trust in any team setting. “Breaking the Trust Barrier" is not just a theoretical work; it offers a predictable, repeatable process for building trust within teams. This practical approach, combined with Venable's compelling storytelling, makes the book an invaluable resource for leaders at all levels seeking to enhance team performance and cohesion.
November 13, 2021
I finished the book Breaking The Trust Barrier by JV Venable, and enjoyed reading it. I am glad I grabbed this book. In the last chapter the atmosphere change a little bit. He did not say that anything was a problem but did talk about leaving. I don’t know, but it seemed like there was a problem outside of his team. The thing is, he helped pull his team together, and when needed. His team pulled him back for another 15 years. The closeness of a working family can and will pull you through things that would of consumed you otherwise. I am going to finish with quote from the last page.
A quote from Breaking The Trust Barrier by JV Venable
"The effects of drafting are as emotional as they are physically real, and they can accelerate much more than your team. It all begins with a dream so big it can be achieved only with the kind of growth and acceleration that come through collective effort. When you reach back into the chests of your people and pull them forward on their passions, their needs, and their desires, they will accelerate you in ways you can now imagine. And when that surge hits your wing, you’ll take your own picture-a picture you will cherish for the rest of your days as the moment when you pulled the best out of your team, and they pulled the very best out of you."
A quote from Breaking The Trust Barrier by JV Venable
"The effects of drafting are as emotional as they are physically real, and they can accelerate much more than your team. It all begins with a dream so big it can be achieved only with the kind of growth and acceleration that come through collective effort. When you reach back into the chests of your people and pull them forward on their passions, their needs, and their desires, they will accelerate you in ways you can now imagine. And when that surge hits your wing, you’ll take your own picture-a picture you will cherish for the rest of your days as the moment when you pulled the best out of your team, and they pulled the very best out of you."
January 23, 2026
Jargons and jargon’s from the industry the author is an expert in, but not the reader and that’s where the book is a hard read. Good potential as trust is key when you do formation flying, but the content doesn’t impact much. An ok read.
September 27, 2016
Very generic sounding title but a very nice read. The aerodynamic concept of drafting is used as a metaphor to what can be achieved when the trust barrier is removed by increasing commitment ad trust. And put well into context against JV Venable's life and career.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews