In today’s workplace, “trust” is everywhere: on websites, in company slogans, splashed across mission statements, and proclaimed from the PowerPoint slides of all-hands meetings. It sparkles like glitter which is nice to look at, but ultimately weightless.
It’s become one of those overused words, like “synergy” or “innovation,” that everyone nods along to, but few actually believe. Because deep down, we know the truth: people don’t want to be told to trust, they want proof that they can.
Here’s the problem: we’ve made trust the goal, when the real issue is trustworthiness.
Let me put it this way. Trust isn’t something you can demand. It’s not a line item you can drop into your brand strategy or HR memo and expect instant loyalty. It’s something you earn, over time, through action, not PR.
Let’s lighten the mood with a couple of stories I came across. Fictional but for illustration’s purpose:
Story #1 Boss: “You’re four hours late!” Employee: “I fell from the second floor this morning.”
Boss: “That’s 20 feet. Shouldn’t have taken you more than five seconds!”
Story #2: A security guard says, “My boss told me to watch ‘The Office’ every night. I’m now on Season 4 on Netflix, and I still don’t know what it has to do with security.”
Now, the real question is: would you trust either of them?
One shows a complete lack of empathy and common sense. The other? A total disconnect between role and responsibility. What we’re seeing here isn’t just bad leadership or misaligned expectations, but a full-blown breakdown in trustworthiness.
And that’s the part most people miss.
Companies keep yelling, “Trust us!” while employees get laid off in surprise Zoom calls. Or, “We’re all in this together!” right before bonuses are cut and workloads double.
I call this trust-washing. It’s the corporate version of saying, “I love you,” while packing a suitcase. The words are sweet. The actions are screaming.
So how do we move from trust-washing to real, grounded, day-in-day-out trustworthiness?
Start with transparency and justice. Not the poster versions but the real ones.
Transparency means explaining why decisions are made, not just what they are. It’s sharing the hard stuff, not just the good news. It’s building a culture where people can give feedback without being labeled “difficult” or “negative.”
Justice? That means fair systems for hiring, promotion, pay and accountability. It means correcting mistakes, not covering them up. It’s about creating an environment where respect isn’t performance-based.
If that sounds basic, it’s because it is. But basic doesn’t mean easy.
Here’s a good place to start:
• Audit your systems. Just because no one’s complaining doesn’t mean everything’s fine. Dig deeper.
• Measure and respond. Don’t just survey your team but actually act on what they say. If trust is low, don’t spin the numbers. Fix the problem.
• Train leaders to be human. Empathy, humility, and emotional intelligence aren’t “soft skills.” In today’s world, they’re survival tools.
• Show, don’t tell. Stop saying you’re building trust. Start acting in ways that make people believe it.
• Be consistent especially when it’s hard. People don’t watch how you lead when it’s easy. They watch when it costs you something.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Trust isn’t a leadership strategy. It’s a character trait. It’s not something you broadcast. It’s something people feel when they’re around you.
You know what trust looks like?
It looks like doing what you said you’d do even when no one’s watching. It looks like admitting when you’re wrong.
It looks like treating people with dignity even when it’s inconvenient.
That’s the kind of trust that sticks. Not the poster on the wall, but the leader who walks the talk.
In a world exhausted by hype and hollow branding, people are craving something real. If you want to build loyalty whether in your team, your clients, or your community start with this question:
Am I someone worth trusting?
Because here’s the thing: when you focus on being trustworthy, you won’t have to ask people to trust you. They just will.
So no, it’s not about shouting “trust” louder. It’s about whispering it, quietly, through every decision, every action, every day.
And that, my friends, is leadership.
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