Authority is trustworthy when it can tolerate being questioned.

Authority that cannot be questioned is announcing something about its own confidence. If the reasoning is sound, examination improves it; if it is not, examination is exactly what should happen. Defensiveness in response to a question is usually the most informative part of the exchange.

When someone questions a decision of yours, notice your first reaction before you speak. Then answer the question they actually asked. Doing that consistently is most of what makes people trust the next decision.