In my decades as a corporate leader and in more recent years as an executive coach, I’ve seen firsthand how trust can make or break a team, a leader, or even an entire organisation. Trust isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the foundation of high-performing teams, sustainable businesses, and meaningful leadership. And yet, many leaders assume trust is something you either have or you don’t, when in reality, it’s a skill that can be developed and strengthened.
I remember one particular leadership moment that cemented this lesson for me. I was leading a regional business, overseeing operations in multiple countries, when I inherited a team that was struggling. Performance was inconsistent, morale was low, and there was an unspoken tension in meetings. No one said it outright, but I could feel it: trust had eroded.
Rather than jumping in with a grand strategy overhaul, I took a step back and focused on what I now know to be the three pillars of trust: authenticity, logic, and empathy. These are the core drivers that determine whether people trust you as a leader, and if one of them wobbles, trust starts to fall apart.
Authenticity: Are You the Real You?
People trust leaders who are genuine. When they sense that you’re hiding something or putting on a mask, they instinctively pull back. In that struggling team, I realised they had been burned by past leaders who said all the right things but weren’t truly invested. The team had heard countless promises of change, yet nothing materialised. They didn’t trust leadership because they hadn’t seen authenticity in action.
So, I made a conscious decision: no corporate-speak, no over-promising—just honesty. I shared my own experiences of past failures, the lessons I’d learned, and even admitted that I didn’t have all the answers yet. When leaders let their guard down and show their real selves, it creates permission for others to do the same. That shift alone helped open up dialogue in the team and created a sense of psychological safety that had been missing.
Logic: Do People Trust Your Judgment?
No matter how likeable or genuine you are, if people don’t believe in your competence or decision-making, trust won’t follow. Leaders need to demonstrate sound judgment and clear reasoning, especially in tough situations.
At one point, I had to make a difficult decision to restructure part of the business. Instead of just announcing changes, I walked the team through the data, the reasoning behind the decision, and the expected outcomes. I also invited tough questions and answered them transparently. When logic is missing, people fill the gaps with their own assumptions, often negative ones. By making my thinking visible, I helped restore trust in the leadership process.
Empathy: Do You Actually Care?
This one is often the hardest for high-achieving leaders. In fast-moving environments, it’s easy to focus on numbers, strategy, and execution—forgetting that leadership is ultimately about people. I’ve worked with many leaders who assume they are empathetic simply because they care about their teams. But caring isn’t enough; it has to be felt by others.
Early in my leadership career, I was guilty of moving too fast and not pausing to check in with how people were feeling. It wasn’t until a trusted colleague pulled me aside and said, “Keith, people don’t know if you actually care about them, or just about results,” that I realised I had an empathy wobble. That conversation changed how I led. I started taking more time for one-on-one conversations, listening more than I spoke, and ensuring people felt heard—even when I couldn’t give them exactly what they wanted.
Your Trust Wobble
Every leader has a default trust weakness, what I call a ‘trust wobble’. Some struggle with authenticity, holding back their true selves. Others have a logic wobble, failing to clearly communicate their reasoning. And many, like I once did, have an empathy wobble, focusing on results over relationships.
The key is self-awareness. If you’ve ever struggled to gain trust, ask yourself: Which of these three areas might be my weak spot? Are people questioning whether I’m being real with them? Do they trust my judgment? Do they feel like I actually care about them as people?
Trust: The Leadership Multiplier
When you build trust, everything in leadership becomes easier. Decision-making speeds up because people don’t second-guess you. Feedback is more open and constructive. Teams become more engaged and willing to go the extra mile. Trust is the ultimate force multiplier for leadership effectiveness.
This is why I’ll be diving deep into this topic in my forthcoming podcast, The Power Within (first episode 8th March), where I’ll be speaking with leaders across industries about how they build and sustain trust. Because at the end of the day, leadership isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about creating an environment where people trust you enough to follow.
So, what’s your trust wobble? And what are you doing to fix it?
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