Building Trust As A Leader In 2025

Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets, and we’re running out of buckets. If you're leading teams through #AI adoption, navigating #hybrid work, or just steering through the tempest that is 2025, there's a crucial factor that could make or break your success: #trust. And right now, it's in free fall. Edelman's Trust Barometer showed an "unprecedented decline in employer trust" -- the first time in their 25 years tracking that trust in business fell. It's no surprise: midnight #layoff emails, "do more with less," #RTO mandates, and fears of #GenAI displacement given CEO focus on efficiency are all factors. The loss of #trust will impact performance. The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) research shows high performing organizations have 10-11X higher trust between employees and leaders. Trust impacts #engagement, #innovation and #technology adoption, especially AI. My latest newsletter gets beyond the research and into what leaders can do today to start rebuilding trust You can't command-and-control your way through a complete overhaul of how we work... Trust is a two-way street. Leaders need to go first, but we also have to rebuild the gives-and-takes of employer/employee relationships. Three starting points: 1️⃣ Clear Goals, Real Accountability. Stop monitoring attendance and start measuring outcomes. Give teams clear goals and autonomy in how they achieve them. 2️⃣ Transparency with Guardrails. Break down information silos. Share context behind decisions openly - even difficult ones. Establish guardrails for meaningful conversations internally (instead of rock-throwing externally). 3️⃣ Show Vulnerability. Saying "I don't know" isn't weakness–it's an invitation for others to contribute. The word “vulnerability” seems anathema to too many public figures at the moment, who instead are ready to lock themselves in the Octagon with their opponents. But what’s tougher for them: taking a swing at someone, or admitting to their own limitations? This isn't just about CEOs. Great leaders show up at all levels of the org chart, creating "trust bubbles:" pockets of high performance inside even the most challenging environments. If you're one of those folks, thank you for what you do! 👉 Link to the newsletter in comments; please read (it's free) and let me know what you think! #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Management #Culture

Leaders want trust. But few know how to build it. Through decades of working with leaders and running my own company, I’ve discovered 5 essential elements that create unshakeable trust: 1. 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Start with looking for your own responsibility in any given interaction that doesn’t end well. When ruptures occur, our defensive instinct is to focus on what others did wrong. Asking “What’s my responsibility in this?” helps move us out of victim mode and gives us back the power to repair and build back trust. 2. 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁: Check in with how open or closed your heart is. When it feels shut down—which often happens after conflict—real repair becomes almost impossible. Simply noticing how you’re feeling and naming it can begin to create an opening. When people can feel your heart and your openness, everything tends to go better. 3. 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆: Instead of trying to prove your case, seek genuine understanding. “I’m wondering why…” opens more doors than “Here’s why you’re wrong.” 4. 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Trust emerges gradually. You can’t force it or legislate it into existence. Since no two humans see the world the same way, ruptures are inevitable. The key is staying open through difficulties. 5. 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲: Extend trust before it’s fully “earned.” This might seem risky, but when we trust our instincts about someone’s fundamental character, we create space for deeper connection. When genuine trust exists, something extraordinary becomes possible: We can share ideas without fear, be wrong without shame, and create possibilities none of us could reach alone. I wrote about building unshakeable trust in a recent newsletter (linked in the comments). If you found this interesting, subscribe using the link in my profile to receive future insights on becoming the leader—and human—you’re capable of being.

Leadership trust isn’t about words. It’s about  what you do when no one’s watching… Most think trust is about being liked. It’s not. It’s about consistency. In 25+ years I have worked with 100s of leaders. And one insight stands out. Leadership trust is not built in big moments. It is built in small, repeatable actions. Here’s how: 1/ Micro-Promises Multiply ↳ Promise what seems too small. ↳ Deliver it 24 hours early. 2/ Expensive Truth Rule ↳ Share bad news first, in person. ↳ Say: “Here’s what I’m doing about it.” 3/ Power Hours ↳ Block 2-4 PM for crisis-only access. ↳ Protect focus time. Say "not now." 4/ Silent Defense ↳ Never defend yourself in meetings. ↳ Defend your team when they’re absent. 5/ Predictable Power ↳ Set auto-replies with exact response times. ↳ Beat your own deadlines by 10 minutes. 6/ Inverse Spotlight ↳ Take blame before facts are known. ↳ Praise moments, not just results. 7/ Crisis Capital ↳ Show up first when things break. ↳ Stay last until stability returns. → → Swipe to learn more see why these work When trust breaks? Don’t explain. Demonstrate. Act first. Apologize later. What will you add to this list? 👇 ↓ Save this for your next new leaders training ♻ Repost to help other leaders develop trust ➕ Follow Adi Agrawal for more leadership insights