The Decline in Trust Continues
What the latest trust data means for leaders, teams and organizational performance.
Business leaders have long relied on trust as a foundational pillar. Yet the latest findings from the Edelman Trust Barometer show trust slipping further—and in places that matter deeply for culture, performance and well-being. My purpose isn’t simply to sound the alarm. Rather, I want to help you see where the cracks are emerging, why it matters, and how you can act—as a leader who chooses to build trust proactively, not defensively.
What the Data Shows
“Widespread grievance is eroding trust across the board.”
“High grievance correlates with business being viewed as 81% less ethical and 37 points less competent.”
Easy to read, but hard to ignore. Because when people assume you’re neither ethical nor competent, you’ve lost both relational trust—how people feel you treat them—and transactional trust—how reliably work gets done.
How Leaders Might Be Feeling
For many leaders, the erosion of trust doesn’t show up as rebellion—it shows up as resistance. They’re feeling the drag: decisions take longer, alignment feels harder, and the energy it takes to move people has doubled. Beneath that is fatigue—a sense that despite good intent and clear goals, people are more skeptical, more guarded, and less willing to believe leadership’s promises at face value. When trust declines, even small missteps get magnified, and leaders start managing perceptions instead of momentum.
How Employees Are Showing Up
Employees, meanwhile, are adapting to survive in low-trust conditions. They protect themselves—sharing less, experimenting less, and prioritizing self-preservation over collaboration. Many describe feeling disconnected from purpose, unsure whose interests decisions are serving. That uncertainty erodes belonging and replaces curiosity with caution. The result: teams that are technically functional but emotionally absent—showing up in body, but not in belief.
The Energy Cost of Low Trust
What we’re seeing isn’t simply a “trust issue”—it’s an energy issue. Every ounce of uncertainty adds friction to work. Leaders spend more time explaining intent; employees spend more time interpreting it. That cognitive load compounds. In high-trust systems, information flows freely and decisions move quickly. In low-trust systems, everything slows—communication, collaboration, and innovation. That drag is measurable, and it’s exhausting.
Why This Matters for Efficiency and Well-being
When trust erodes, efficiency becomes the first casualty and well-being follows close behind. People burn energy defending themselves instead of creating value. Meetings multiply, approvals stack up, and the emotional tax of constant vigilance shows up as stress, disengagement, and burnout. Restoring trust isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s an operational one. When trust is strong, energy converts into progress; when it’s weak, that same energy becomes stress. Rebuilding trust is therefore one of the fastest ways to improve both productivity and the health of your organization.
Moving from Energy Erosion to Intention
Rebuilding trust requires more than communication—it demands calibration. Leaders must realign relational and transactional trust, creating a system where people both feel safe and see competence. That’s the work I focus on in every keynote and workshop: translating trust from a soft concept into a measurable, repeatable practice that protects culture, accelerates performance, and restores energy to the work that matters most.
If you’re leading a function or a business unit, you can’t sit still. Here are four practical actions you can take right now:
1. Dig Into Disaggregated Data to Build Trust
The Edelman report highlights that lower-income and equity-deserving groups are feeling the strain most acutely. Your internal surveys and data should be disaggregated by relevant demographics so you can see how trust levels vary. Who’s at the bottom of your pay scale? Where do historically underrepresented groups sit within your organization? Focus on building relationships with those groups—and with the people who influence their experience.
2. Demonstrate Humility and Swift Action to Rebuild Trust
When something happens that damages trust, don’t wait. Acknowledge it, address it directly, and show care through consistent follow-up. People rebuild integrity when they can see humility in your actions and reliability in your response.
3. Root Out Corrosive Influences to Protect Trust
If anyone in your organization openly fuels distrust—through gossip, chronic negativity, or careless treatment of others—it’s time to step in. Toxic behaviors spread quickly if left unchecked. These individuals often behave carelessly, creating drag and undermining cohesion across teams.
4. Prioritize Trust-Building in Your Strategy to Develop Trust
Trust isn’t a “nice-to-have”; it’s a strategic pillar. If you’re mapping a three- or five-year plan, make trust a measurable objective. Review your daily operations: are there any policies or practices quietly eroding trust—such as lack of transparency or unnecessary complexity? Identify them, and fix them fast.
Find additional insights and data at the links below.
Learn more about my Trust and Community Workshops for Leaders and Leadership teams.
Download the Edleman Global Trust Barometer report at this LINK
The Canada Specific report is available here.