Trust is the new performance currency. Confidence in leadership is becoming increasingly uneven as rapid change, AI-driven decisions, and inconsistent communication leave employees uncertain about what to expect, and who to believe. The Edelman Trust Barometer, a global survey that examines public sentiment toward institutions including business leadership, reports that trust in CEOs continues to decline globally, while PwC’s Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey found that barely half of employees say they trust what senior leadership communicates.
“We’re living through a trust recession,” says HR strategist Richard A. Hinton. “People don’t leave companies anymore. They leave confusion, broken promises, and inconsistency. With more than 15 years coaching executives, transforming talent systems, and helping organizations navigate large-scale change, Hinton argues that rebuilding trust, not launching new initiatives, is the most urgent strategic priority.
The Current Deficit: Confusion, Fear and Misalignment
Across conversations with leaders, he sees one theme appearing repeatedly: a widening gap in alignment. “Employees don’t know which way things are moving,” he says. “Leaders are struggling to adapt to rapid changes, especially around AI and restructuring, and many avoid addressing those fears directly.” This avoidance has created a troubling shift. Employees have begun placing more confidence in systems and algorithms than in the people guiding them. It is not that leaders lack good intentions. Rather, the pace of change has left many uncertain about how to communicate clarity without overcommitting or oversimplifying. The result is a workforce that feels unanchored, and a leadership layer that feels overwhelmed.
Why It Matters: Trust as the Foundation of Performance
For Hinton, trust is the foundation that enables performance, innovation, and adoption across every layer of an organization. Without it, even strong strategies stall. AI tools go underused, hybrid models lose cohesion, and DEI efforts risk being seen as performative rather than meaningful. “Trust is the anchor of how I lead.” says Hinton. “It’s the foundation that allows growth, clarity, and performance to take hold. Without it, systems break down, alignment drifts, and culture loses meaning.” As companies feel the pressure to transform at speed, the ability to cultivate trust is no longer a soft skill, it’s a strategic differentiator. “Trust is the ultimate scalability tool. Without it, even the best strategy becomes ineffective.”
The Three Cs of Trust Repair
Hinton has developed a framework for leaders who want to rebuild trust. He calls it the Three Cs of Trust Repair: clarity, consistency and care:
Clarity: Say what you mean. Show what you measure. Avoid the temptation to speak in polished ambiguity. Employees want grounded direction, not aspirational messaging.
Consistency: Lead the same way when times are easy and when times are difficult. “Walking the walk matters,” Hinton says. Inconsistency is one of the fastest ways to erode trust.
Care: Demonstrate visible, authentic empathy. According to Hinton, performative empathy can be more damaging than none at all. Employees want to feel seen, not managed through scripted sentiment.
This framework provides the cultural infrastructure leaders need to rebuild confidence during change, creating predictability, strengthening psychological safety, and re-establishing trust between leaders and their teams.
The CEO as Chief Trust Officer
For him, everything begins at the top. He believes CEOs set the tone for how trust is built and maintained, and that they must now act as their organization’s Chief Trust Officer to anchor teams through uncertainty. “When leadership does not establish trust, people move in multiple directions,” Hinton says. “You lose engagement, motivation, and alignment.” Trust fuels execution, accelerates adoption of new tools, and strengthens the willingness of teams to follow leaders into unfamiliar territory. And with AI reshaping work at every level, Hinton believes employees are not looking for flawless leaders. They are looking for reliable ones. “The next era of leadership will not be defined by technology. It will be defined by trust,” he says. “People don’t need perfect leaders. They need clear, honest and predictable ones.”
Trust may be in recession, but it’s not beyond repair. With clarity, consistency, and care, leaders can rebuild the foundation that drives growth, innovation, and cohesion amid rapid change. “Trust is built in how leaders show up in the gray areas, when decisions are difficult and the path isn’t immediately clear.”
Readers can connect with Richard A. Hinton, Executive People Partner and HR strategist, on LinkedIn or visit his website for more insights on building AI-ready, trust-driven organizations.
