Trust Is Harder to Earn Now
The Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual global survey of public trust, found in 2025 that trust in major institutions, including business, has declined. AI adds another layer as employees worry about what it means for their roles. People arrive at work conditioned to question motives, so leaders have to earn trust deliberately.
Trust Is Built Through Action
The chapter maps trust-building actions to the six leadership strategies: show people you trust them through autonomy and stretch assignments, invite input and act on it, make compensation fair and transparent, communicate with empathy and clarity, especially about AI, and make growth paths transparent and open to everyone.
Trust is the foundation of high-performing, future-ready organizations. It fuels collaboration, accelerates innovation, and improves decision-making across every level of the business.
Reliability Is the Foundation
Nothing replaces dependable leadership. Reliable leaders set clear expectations, communicate consistently and honestly, encourage collaboration, and respond to problems with accountability instead of blame. In the chapter, Greg Morley describes how anonymous questions at LVMH town halls grew into a culture where people asked openly.
Key Takeaways
- 1
Trust is harder to earn when employees arrive skeptical of institutions and anxious about AI.
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Trust is built through actions, not statements.
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Each of the six leadership strategies offers a specific way to build trust.
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Reliability, following through on commitments, is the foundation of all of it.
