Leadership and trust facilitating cross‐functional team success

Cross‐functional teams (CFTs) have increased in use within a variety of organizations. While these teams claim to enhance organizational effectiveness, research has seen mixed results. This paper examines the challenges faced by CFTs and why these challenges facilitate the need for the development of a team climate for trust. Trust is discussed as a team‐level construct, an aspect of the “micro‐climate” that occurs within a team. Leadership actions particularly important to cross‐functional teams and the development of trust are offered as influential in creating a team climate for trust in cross‐functional teams.