When Expertise Isn’t Enough: Building Trust in a New Culture

When we move into international roles, we often assume credibility will come from expertise, decisiveness, or quick execution. What happens when those assumptions don’t translate to our new environment?

Photo by Mattia Occhi on Unsplash

Early in my time in Amsterdam, I helped my boss, the company’s managing director, launch a series of lunchtime listening sessions. Although I had only been there a few months, I quickly jumped into planning: scheduling the lunches, communicating the idea, and encouraging colleagues to sign up. The response was tepid. I heard whispers about whether the MD really wanted to hear feedback from the employees. Might they get in trouble for raising issues? How would their input be used?

Soon, I began hearing louder whispers about my own role in the lunches, some of them unkind, including a comment that I was “acting like the first lady”. My boss expected me to participate in every lunch to record and synthesize the feedback. My attendance also meant a lot of free lunches for me, something some colleagues found unfair. 

A senior leader took me aside and told me - with classic Dutch directness - that I had made a mis-step. I had not yet earned the trust of my colleagues, and my involvement in this project raised suspicion about me and my motives. Looking back, I can see that my need to prove my value caused me to overstep the boundaries of a role I barely understood - and to overestimate my credibility. I assumed I was demonstrating competence by helping my boss bring the project to life. I later realized that I had missed something more important. 

Assumptions About Credibility

In my previous work in the United States, my credibility came from expertise and from execution. At Partners In Health, quick action was essential to get our international hospitals the medicines and supplies they needed. We were encouraged to take initiative, and I took pride in my ability to mobilize my team and resolve problems quickly and creatively.

I had moved to a new country, but I had also moved into a different business model and a new company culture. Both of these shifts meant that I had to re-think the source of my credibility. My early failure with the lunchtime listening sessions made it clear that rushing to action would not help me build credibility.

How Trust Is Built

In my rush to launch the lunch sessions, I was focused on task credibility - getting things done - and overlooked the need for relationship credibility. My colleagues did not know who I was. As a result they didn’t know my motivations, and they had little reason to trust my actions. Why would they want to share ideas or express grievances with a stranger? 

I also misread the company culture around speed versus patience. I assumed that my quick contribution would be valued, but others saw it as premature. They didn’t know me, and also rightly felt that I didn’t know them, or the organization, well enough to be leading the lunch sessions. To them, I was an unfamiliar newcomer suddenly occupying a prominent role.

Learning Before Leading

In my previous post I explored the importance of bringing a beginner’s mindset to a new international role. Credibility, I’ve learned, often grows from that same mindset.

Asking thoughtful questions and expressing curiosity can build more trust than rushing toward answers. Listening before contributing signals respect. Discovering and observing local norms - and being honest about what you don’t yet understand - creates space for stronger relationships.

None of these behaviors are flashy. They are subtle and can feel slow, especially for people who are used to proving their value through action. Over time, though, these behaviors can build the trust that will make meaningful contribution possible.

Old Habits, New Places

If credibility feels difficult to build, it may be worth examining whether old habits are getting in the way. Are you talking more to compensate for uncertainty? Pushing harder for alignment? Interpreting silence too quickly?

These behaviors are understandable. You may be using them to regain a sense of control in unfamiliar situations. But they can also make it harder for you to build trust. 

Earning Trust Over Time

When I heard the whispers from my new coworkers, it was tempting to ignore them and double down with my action-oriented approach to asserting my credibility. Thankfully, I was able to rely on colleagues who vouched for me, gave me more context about the company culture, and shared ideas that helped me build stronger relationships. I learned that rapid action wasn’t the right path to credibility. Instead, consistency, reliability, and genuine curiosity helped me earn trust over time. 

As you continue to grow in your international assignment, what signals of credibility are you relying on—and how might they be interpreted differently in your current context?