Trust the Formation - #15

“Trust is built when someone is vulnerable and not taken advantage of.”— Bob Vanourek

In high-performance teams, there comes a point where words become unnecessary.

The formation is set. The mission is clear. Everyone knows their lane and more importantly, they stay in it. That’s not just discipline. That’s blind trust. Not naïve obedience.

The kind of trust built from effective communication, relentless reps, shared goals, and mutual respect forged under pressure.

High Bomb Blast

I recently watched the new Thunderbirds documentary on Netflix. If you’re not familiar, the Thunderbirds are the Air Force’s elite pilots touring the country, performing complex aerial maneuvers in perfect unison. Truly the best of the best.

What I didn’t know is that the team turns over 50% every year. New pilots must learn the formations. Existing pilots must learn to trust new teammates, and there’s no margin for error.

The documentary centers on a maneuver called the High Bomb Blast, where four jets break off in different directions and reform into a perfect diamond midair.

One rookie pilot kept missing the rejoin. He realized the problem wasn’t his skill, but rather it was his mindset. He had to learn to trust the other three team members to be exactly where they were supposed to be. Only then could he focus on doing his job.

“Do your job and do it well.” – Bill Belichick

Watch any great football team and you’ll see it.

Linemen don’t need a reminder to block. Receivers don’t need a second cue on their route. The system is rehearsed. Expectations are clear. Execution is assumed. They are professionals.

It’s simple. But rare. In most companies, people confuse motion with clarity. They include twelve people on emails to cover themselves. They’re loud about effort but vague on ownership. High-performance teams don’t operate like that.

In elite environments, there’s an unspoken awareness and understanding of exactly what is required of them. Everyone has enough field vision to anticipate where their teammates are without constant check-ins. Everyone knows what’s expected. And when something breaks? They don’t look around. They step up.

Lay the foundation

You don’t build this kind of team overnight. You build it through standards. Through reps. Through clarity. And most of all, through a shared respect that says: "I trust you to be where you’re supposed to be, when it counts."

It’s built in the trenches through hours spent learning each other’s strengths, unique vision / blind spots, and weaknesses. Without that foundation, blind trust never forms. And high-level execution never lasts. So:

• Invest in your team.

• Learn how to communicate without over-talking.

• Understand what drives each player is it fear or pride?

• Practice until precision becomes instinct.

Final Thought

Trust the formation.

And if someone breaks it? You fix it. Fast.

Because trust doesn’t mean you don’t hold the line. It means you hold it together.

Additional Resources and Thoughts:

• Book: the Almanack of Naval Ravikant: a Guide to wealth and Happiness by Eric Jorgenson – Buy here

• Podcast: The Knowledge Project – Episode: “#230 – Bill Belichick” – Listen here

• Stoicism of the Day: “Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.”— Epictetus

• Trust isn’t something you talk about, it’s something you show through consistent action, clarity, and performance.