There are ways to assess your boss, such as asking questions and paying attention.For everyone, the ability to trust others brings some level of difficulty. We have a primal level need for other humans in order to survive. But we also have a self-protecting fear of the unknown to shield us from danger. So we must trust others to thrive, and sometimes not trust them to be safe.
I had a friend years ago who adored their boss as a great protector. When times were lean, they would protect their budget at all costs, even spending quickly so they wouldn’t lose budget. Then things got very tough. This person left with a large severance package—and the team lost their jobs. The point isn’t that you can’t trust a boss that has the team’s needs top of mind. But also watch for behavior that speaks to too much self-interest or morally murky behavior when times are unpredictable.
While it’s important to be careful who we trust, especially in a high-stakes environment like work, we also have to check our fear. A bad day or even a rough week happens to everyone. Separate, whenever possible, the emotional response from, say, a tough review of a recent project from a broader question about trust. Even people we like and trust will disappoint us or demand more of us than we feel we can give.