Trust is the currency of change
Do your employees trust you? Not just when things are steady, but when everything around them is shifting?
For most of us navigating relentless change—be it the adoption of AI or the push to return to office—this is the existential question. The truth is that building trust within an organization has never been more difficult—or more vital.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen a remarkable acceleration in the rate of organizational and societal change. And the reality is, the pace of change is expected to increase as advancements in AI and digital access transform our operations. In fact, 60% of employers predict these technologies will shape their businesses by 2030, according to the Future of Jobs Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum.
Yet the current state of trust in organizations is alarming. The Edelman Trust Barometer reports a global drop in trust in employers to 75% in 2025, alongside a more troubling statistic—68% of people believe business leaders deliberately mislead them.
Building trust at scale isn’t optional. It’s a prerequisite for productivity, innovation as well as effective transformation. But how do we operationalize trust amid such complexity? I believe it starts with a fundamental shift in how we think about leadership.
Start with Radical Transparency
Why do so many employees feel disconnected from leadership? It’s not shifts in policy or demands of the modern workplace—it’s the erosion of honesty. Trust collapses where visibility disappears. As leaders, we must stop operating as if our decisions exist behind an impenetrable wall. Radical transparency is about dismantling that wall entirely.
This doesn’t just mean sharing positive outcomes but also being open about challenges and rationale behind our decisions. Employee trust can’t thrive when leadership appears to withhold critical information or "spin" narratives to align with convenient truths. The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer underscores this—when employees with higher levels of grievance were surveyed, only 51% trusted their own CEOs.
What if we were honest even when it’s uncomfortable? Imagine communicating openly about why your organization is integrating AI or why return-to-office mandates are necessary. Employees do not fear change—they fear being excluded from its meaning. When we lead with clarity and involve people in the "why," trust becomes the byproduct of inclusion.
Build Systems, Not Just Promises
Promises inspire, but systems sustain. Trust relies on structures that reinforce what we tell employees. Without systems, promises evaporate into mere platitudes. Research from Korn Ferry reveals that 40% of executives believe a lack of employee trust threatens productivity and efficiency—clear evidence that trust has become an operational necessity.
If an organization claims to value employee feedback, then it must build robust mechanisms for employees to voice opinions. Similarly, if leadership commits to professional growth, systems like mentorship programs or structured reskilling initiatives must back that commitment. Consistency between what we say and what the organization does is what builds credibility.
Prioritize Employee Wellbeing—For Real
According to Gallup, only 21% of employees strongly believe their employer cares about their well-being. While platitudes about self-care may look appealing in newsletters, they hold no weight against the relentless workload many employees shoulder today. Burnout isn’t fleeting —it’s a workplace crisis. Neglecting mental health isn’t just bad for people—it’s destructive for organizations, impacting retention, morale and performance.
We need employee wellbeing to become as strategic a priority as revenue growth or product development. This means normalizing conversations around mental health challenges and eliminating the stigma employees feel in discussing them. Nearly a third of employees, according to the Global Business Collaboration for Better Workplace Mental Health, fear disclosing mental health issues because they anticipate discrimination. How can trust flourish in silence?
What if we, as leaders, led by example? What if we used company-wide town halls to speak openly of the importance of mental and emotional health? Offering flexibility, expanding mental health resources and even providing proactive wellness tools aren’t just thoughtful—they’re table stakes. Well-being is foundational to a workforce’s trust and productivity.
Trust cannot flourish without wellbeing
Recommit to DEI Amid Shifting Pressures
Political and legal pressures have forced many organizations to scale back their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Yet DEI is more than a corporate strategy—it is the foundation upon which trust is built. Lily Zheng, in their recent Harvard Business Review article, highlights that 91% of workers have experienced discrimination related to race, gender, disability, age, or body size. If an organization can’t even make employees feel safe and valued, where can trust find a home?
Recommitment doesn’t have to mean grand gestures. It can start with small but meaningful interactions. We need to consistently demonstrate our dedication to inclusive listening, mentorship for underrepresented groups and fighting systemic inequities embedded within all of our organizational frameworks.
Take inspiration from companies like Apple and Costco, which have continued to publicly uphold DEI commitments despite external pressures. Our employees notice when leaders live their values. Leading this way doesn’t just foster trust with marginalized groups—it fosters trust across the board.
Align Technology with Humanity
The rush to integrate AI has left many employees in the dark. Research reports that while 93% of Fortune 500 CHROs acknowledge AI integration, only one-third of employees even know about it.
Leveraging AI and advanced tools offers immense potential, but it must align with humanity’s best interests. This starts with education. Employees need alignment — to understand why AI is being introduced and how it can augment rather than replace their roles. However, if there is potential for an impact on jobs, it’s crucial to be honest about it. Then, we should focus on taking actionable steps to support teams. This includes identifying opportunities to redeploy affected team members into new roles or offering upskilling programs to help them adapt and thrive in an evolving workplace. Automation shouldn’t jeopardize livelihoods—it should unlock growth and new possibilities.
Trust Is the Currency of Change
Building trust at scale isn’t easy and it rarely fits within the confines of quarterly objectives or annual KPIs. Yet it’s non-negotiable. Trust is the currency through which we buy lasting change. It powers engagement. It empowers teams. And it ensures that our most difficult decisions meet support, not resistance.