Let’s talk about trust.

One of the most overused and misunderstood words in leadership today.

We plaster it on values walls, town hall decks, and onboarding slides. But when the pressure hits-when priorities shift, when uncertainty rises-how many of us are really practicing trust?

Here’s what I’ve learned the hard way:

Trust isn’t a fixed asset. It’s fluid. It’s emotional. And it’s built (or broken) in the small, everyday moments most of us overlook.

📌 A rushed 1:1

📌 A follow-up that never comes.

📌 A tough message that goes unspoken.

Trust slips when we move too fast to notice the signals.

Harvard professor Francis Frei defines trust as a triangle: authenticity, logic, and empathy. We trust people who are real with us, who make sound decisions, and who show us they care. Miss one? The whole thing wobbles.

Today - where hybrid models, AI disruption, and economic (and geopolitic) pressure collide -people are looking harder than ever for honesty, clarity, and care from leadership.

But here’s the truth: when we micromanage, when we monitor, when we demand more with less explanation - we send a message, whether we mean to or not:

“We need you... but we don’t fully trust you.”

And when people feel that? They stop trusting back.

Here’s what’s worked for me (and where I still hold myself accountable):

🔹 Slow down. Don’t treat check-ins like status updates.

 🔹 Ask real questions. People remember when you ask how they are, not just what they’ve done.

 🔹 Be transparent. Say what you know - and own what you don’t.

 🔹 Follow through. Words don’t matter if actions don’t match.

Korn Ferry found that 80% of people would stay in a job if they trust their manager. That stat doesn’t surprise me. I've stayed (and left) for the same reason.

We don’t work for companies. 

We work for people.

And people stay where they feel seen, heard, and safe.