Organizational Trust Dynamics

The riddle every leader should be forced to answer “You cannot keep me until you have given me. What am I?” Answer: YOUR WORD. It’s not a trick question. It’s the foundation of leadership. & yet—somehow—it still feels like a gotcha moment for a lot of leaders. Because here’s the truth bomb: You don’t “keep your word” retroactively. You give it. Then you honor it. That’s the deal. But somewhere along the journey from the corner desk to the corner office, a few folks start treating their word like a PR campaign: • All sparkle, no spine. • All vision, no vigilance. • All "We got this," until the pressure hits—& suddenly, you got nothing. & the team? Oh, they notice. They always notice. They're just too payroll-attached to say it out loud. So instead... • They update their CVs. • Their trust quietly evaporates. • & your once-legendary culture? It starts to rot. From the inside out. Silently. Thoroughly. Why does this happen? Because somewhere, the leader started believing the myth that intentions speak louder than actions. (They don’t. They whisper. Actions scream.) 📚 Let’s talk science. In a 2023 HBR study, researchers found that when leaders break even minor commitments, team #trust declines 39% faster than when no commitment was made at all. Why? Because it’s not just a failure of follow-through—it’s perceived as a failure of character. Even worse? According to a 2024 McKinsey survey on organizational health, “trust in leadership” ranked as the #1 predictor of employee retention, engagement & discretionary effort—beating out pay, flexibility, & even growth opportunities. In plain English? When you say you’ll do something… & don’t? You don’t just lose a task. You lose people. If you can’t deliver, don’t commit. If you commit, then deliver like your leadership depends on it—because it does. In fact, here's your cheat sheet for leadership #credibility: • Say less. Mean more. • Promises are currency. Overspend, & your culture goes bankrupt. • You don’t inspire trust by saying the right things—you earn it by doing them when no one’s watching. The Fix? Start small. Start now. If you promised to show up on time—show up. If you said you’d circle back—circle back. If you told your team “I’ve got your back”—don’t duck when the heat comes. It’s not grand speeches that build loyalty. It’s consistency. ✅ A 2023 Deloitte Insights study found that leaders who consistently followed through on commitments were 2.4x more likely to lead high-performing teams. ✅ A 2022 ETB report also revealed that 78% of employees believe trust is built through “doing what you say you’ll do”—not inspirational keynotes, mission statements, or Monday pep talks. & here’s the kicker: when you get this right, your team starts giving you something far more powerful than compliance. They give you discretionary effort—the stuff no job description can demand & no KPI can measure. That’s when you know: You didn’t just give your word. You became it. #Leadership

We trusted them. That made the dispute worse. I spoke on a panel recently about dispute resolution. The very first question came to me: “𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵?” I said: Because not all trust protects you. Some of it actually makes things worse. The silence in the room spoke volumes. We like to believe trust is a buffer. That it makes relationships “safe.” But in practice, I’ve seen it do the opposite. Trust, when it’s shallow, mismatched, or never stress tested, can give you a false sense of security. Then conflict hits, and everything fractures. Some trust can survive pressure. Some gets exposed by it. Here’s what I’ve seen over and over again: → 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 can be rebuilt → 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 takes the longest to repair → 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 (“they’ll deliver”) is resilient → “𝗡𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝘁” 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 often the most dangerous. → 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 (“they have our best interests at heart”) is vulnerable And in high-stakes negotiations or long term partnerships, most people 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. They just assume it’s strong, until it's tested! For relationships to survive disputes Don’t avoid tension. Build for it. → Create psychological safety → Track trust in real-time, not just in retros → Structure contracts for repair, not just prevention → Make it okay to raise concerns 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 the damage is done Trust isn’t avoiding discomfort. It’s knowing how the relationship holds when a dispute shows up. So the question worth asking isn’t: - “𝘋𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳?” - It’s “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥?” That’s where the real relationship lives. I’d like to hear from you: What’ve you seen help (or harm) trust during a dispute? Let’s raise the bar for how trust is built 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱. ----------------------------------------------- My free newsletter is where I share the expert stuff that doesn’t fit in a post. One email a week - focused, useful, and real. Join me: https://lnkd.in/gseUj6US

When trust disappears, so does engagement—whether in dating or in business. Ever been ghosted? One day, everything’s great—then, suddenly, nothing. No explanation, no closure—just silence. Now imagine that happening constantly on a dating app. What happens? People stop trusting the platform. They disengage. They leave. That’s exactly what I told a dating company when they asked why terms of service enforcement mattered. I put it like this: “Imagine someone repeatedly ghosts people on your app—promises a great date, then vanishes. Users would stop trusting the platform, right? Well, ignoring policy enforcement is the same. If bad actors break the rules and nothing happens, trust erodes, engagement drops, and your brand suffers.” Suddenly, terms of service weren’t just legal fine print—they were essential to the business. Because legal isn’t just about rules; it’s about relationships. It’s not a blocker—it’s a trust builder. That’s the power of analogies. They make legal click. They transform abstract policies into real-world concepts that people get. And when legal teams communicate in a way that resonates, their advice moves from theory to action. I explore this idea in my latest newsletter—how analogies simplify complexity, align teams, and make legal a strategic advantage. Give it a read, and let’s discuss: Have you ever seen a lack of legal enforcement erode trust? What’s an analogy that helped you explain a complex legal concept? How do you make legal guidance resonate across teams? Looking forward to your insights. -------- 💥 I’m Olga V. Mack 🔺 Expert in AI & transformative tech for product counseling 🔺 Upskilling human capital for digital transformation 🔺 Leading change management in legal innovation & operations 🔺 Keynote speaker on the intersection of business, law, & tech 🔝 Let’s connect 🔝 Subscribe to Notes to My (Legal) Self newsletter

A single Reddit post nearly destroyed a brand’s reputation overnight. But when facts emerged, nobody cared. Here’s what really happened.  A few weeks ago, an anonymous Reddit, Inc. post claimed a whey protein brand contained dangerous levels of arsenic. No direct questions, just a lab report dropped online, spreading panic within hours.  The brand took immediate action, testing the same batch at two NABL-accredited labs. Results confirmed that all heavy metals, including arsenic, were well within safe limits. Reports were made public, and they even offered to re-test the anonymous user’s sample at their expense—no response.  Then, Chirag Barjotia, a fitness coach and influencer, ran independent tests and found the whey protein to be 100% clean. While this should have been reassuring, it exposed a deeper issue-how easily trust can be shaken and how quickly fear spreads compared to facts.  The Whole Truth is a brand that I personally love and respect. Especially their dark chocolate. And I do trust them-but misinformation can surely impact this trust.  Here's what this incident teaches us about navigating viral claims:  📌 Verify before sharing – Viral posts can spread misinformation. A quick fact-check can prevent unnecessary panic.  📌 Understand testing variability – Lab results depend on methods, handling, and accreditation. That’s why NABL-certified labs and transparent reporting matter.    📌 Ask before assuming – If you have concerns about any product, reach out to the brand. Many are willing to provide reports and explain the data.  Social media spreads doubt quickly, but trust takes time to build. A single unverified claim can damage reputations, while facts often go unnoticed.  Brands should be accountable, but viral claims deserve the same scrutiny. Before sharing, pause, verify, and ask questions-because trust should be built on evidence, not speculation.  Have you ever fact-checked a viral claim before sharing it?

Most founders I coach don’t have a control problem. They have a trust problem… masked as control. You don’t micromanage because you’re a control freak. You do it because the stakes are high. Because you've been burned before. Because letting go feels risky when everything rests on your shoulders. But here’s the paradox: The more you try to control, the more you signal weakness. Control says, “I don’t trust you to get this right.” And over time, people live down to that message. Founders who build high-trust teams? They lead with phrases like: – “Take the lead, I’ll support you” – “Your approach makes sense” – “How can I help you succeed?” – “Work where you're most effective” These aren’t just nice-sounding lines. They’re cultural coding. Trust builds speed. Trust builds accountability. Trust builds leaders. So, if you want to grow fast without burning out or burning bridges? Start here: → Trust before proof → Support over supervision → Growth over control → Impact over presence What's one thing you could delegate today - without checking up on it tomorrow? Try it. And watch what happens. - - - - 1. Like this ❤️ 2. Follow for more 🙏 3. Repost to your network 🥰 4. Subscribe: https://lnkd.in/dguy4WfX 🤗

She explained it a third time. I watched the room's energy shift. The more she justified, the less they believed. Behavioral expert Chase Hughes nailed it: "The person who explains the most, has the least power in the room." After 25+ years in countless high-stakes, c-suite level meetings in financial services, I've seen this credibility leak destroy executive presence, and ultimately careers. Not dramatically. Quietly. One over-explanation at a time. I once watched a Senior MD present a restructuring plan for a $900M division. Simple. Clean. Bulletproof. Then someone asked, "Why this approach?" Reasonable question. Unreasonable answer length. She spent 20 minutes defending what needed 20 seconds. By minute 10, she lost the room. By minute 20, she lost the deal. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆: 1️⃣ 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. When you over-explain, you signal doubt. State your case. Let it breathe. 2️⃣ 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. After you make your point, stop talking. Let others fill the space. 3️⃣ 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Sometimes they are tests of confidence. Answer the real question: "Do you believe in this?" Not with words. With presence. 4️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: "𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻." Full stop. No "because ...". No "let me explain why." Just confidence backed by competence. 5️⃣ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Results speak louder than reasons. Let your work defend your decisions. One client mastered this shift. Board presentation. Mid-cap acquisition. The Audit Chair challenged the valuation. Old her: 15-minute word salad defense. New her: "The model reflects our analysis. I can walk through the key drivers now or send the sensitivities after this meeting, your call." Deal approved. Power maintained. The paradox? The less you explain, the more they trust. Confidence does not need a long essay. Your executive presence is not measured by how well you justify. It is measured by how little you need to. 💭 When was the last time you said too much in an effort to explain your point of view, decision or action?  What did it cost you? What will you do differently going forward? ------ ♻️ Share with that brilliant executive who undercuts their authority by over-explaining ➕ Follow Courtney Intersimone for more truth about commanding executive presence

It’s not one big mistake that kills trust… It’s your tiny daily habits. Most successful leaders know: relationships rarely fall apart because of one big incident. It’s the small, daily habits in how we speak that quietly erode trust over time. (Join Justin Bateh and me for more about how to recognize the hidden signals that erode trust on Aug 26th: https://lnkd.in/gvwchpk9) Research shows that these seemingly minor behaviors have a huge impact on how others perceive your leadership: 1. The Interrupter ❌ Cutting others off sends the message, “My ideas matter more than yours.” Even well-intentioned interruptions can chip away at psychological safety. 2. The Dismisser ❌ Phrases like “That’s not important right now” or “Let’s move on,” and dismissive body language (eye rolls, checking your phone) make people feel unheard. 3. The Credibility Underminer ❌ Constantly saying “kind of,” “maybe,” or “I think” leaves you sounding uncertain, even when you’re not. 4. The Non-Listener ❌ Not following up or paraphrasing responses shows disinterest. When you pass up a chance to say, “Tell me more,” you miss a moment to build connection. 5. The Inconsistent Gazer ❌ Erratic eye contact creates subtle discomfort. People wonder if you’re hiding something—or not fully present. As a coach to women executives, I often see these patterns affect female leaders more. Many of us were raised to be “nice” rather than direct, which can unintentionally undercut our authority. The upside? Small changes make a big difference: ✅ Stop and focus on what they other person feels is important right now ✅ Instead of interrupting, take a breath and let them finish ✅ Say what you want to say (and skip the qualifiers) ✅ Ask one qualifying question before moving on ✅ Practice keeping eye contact for 3 seconds Trust isn’t built on grand gestures, but on consistent, respectful communication. P.S. What habits have you noticed in your workplace? (I’ve been guilty of being an Interrupter and a Dismisser due to rushing) ♻️ Repost to help others build trust through conversation Follow me, Jill Avey for more leadership insights Research: Academy of Management Review https://lnkd.in/g-wxFvzr

In leadership and love, the biggest warning sign isn’t yelling. It’s silence. If your team isn’t coming to you with problems... That’s not a sign of trust. It’s a signal that trust is already gone. This is one of the most misunderstood truths in leadership and relationships. Silence doesn’t mean success. It often means self-protection. 📉 At work, it shows up as disengaged teams, quiet meetings, and surface-level check-ins. 💔 At home, it shows up as one-word answers, emotional distance, or "everything’s fine" when it’s not. General Colin Powell said it best: “The day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” That doesn’t just apply to soldiers. It applies to business, partners, friends, and kids, too. Because whether you're leading a team or loving someone.... If they don’t feel safe, they’ll stop bringing you the truth. And here’s what the research says: 🧠 Gallup: Only 3 in 10 employees strongly agree their opinions count at work. That jumps to 6 in 10 when leaders build psychological safety. The result? Higher performance, retention, and engagement. 🧠McKinsey (2023): Leaders seen as supportive are 3.4x more likely to build high-performing teams. 🧠 The Gottman Institute: In relationships, the strongest predictor of disconnection is stonewalling; when people shut down instead of opening up. In both spaces, the message is the same: When people stop bringing you problems, they’ve already started building walls. Want to measure your impact? Don’t count the compliments. Count the real conversations. Ask yourself: ✅ When’s the last time someone brought me the hard stuff? ✅ Do people feel lighter after talking to me or more guarded? ✅ Do they believe I’ll respond with care or react with judgment? If they’re no longer talking to you, that’s your next problem to solve. Because great leadership, and great love, isn’t about fixing everything. It’s about being someone they trust enough to bring anything to. Comment Below: In leadership or love how do you create a space where people feel safe to speak up? ♻ Repost if this made you rethink what silence really means. I’m Dan 👊 Follow me for daily posts. I talk about confidence, professional growth and personal growth. ➕ Daniel McNamee

Micromanaging isn't a control problem. It's a trust problem Disguised as a systems problem. Most leaders think they have two choices: Micromanage everything. Or let chaos reign. Both are wrong. Here's what 10+ years scaling teams across 8 countries taught me about the REAL relationship between structure and ownership... 💡 The Trust Paradox Nobody Talks About Micromanagement isn't a control problem. It's a TRUST problem disguised as a systems problem. When you're checking every detail, approving every decision, reviewing every output... You're not protecting quality. You're broadcasting: "I don't trust you to think." And here's the uncomfortable part: Your team hears that message LOUD and clear. 💡 The False Choice Leaders Make Most agency owners I talk to are stuck in this mental trap: ➣ "If I don't check everything, quality drops" ➣ "If I give them freedom, they'll mess it up" ➣ "Structure kills creativity" So they ping-pong between extremes: Micromanage → Team resents it → Pull back → Quality drops → Micromanage harder It's exhausting. And it doesn't scale past 5-7 people. The Structure-Trust Framework That Actually Works Here's what changed everything for Flying V Group: ☑️ SOPs Provide the WHAT Clear processes for: ➣ Client onboarding sequences ➣ Campaign launch protocols ➣ Quality checkpoints ➣ Deliverable standards This isn't micromanagement. It's clarity. ☑️ People Provide the HOW Within those guardrails, total creative freedom: ➣ Problem-solving approaches ➣ Client communication style ➣ Innovation on methodology ➣ Strategic recommendations This isn't chaos. It's ownership. ☑️ Trust Lives INSIDE Structure The paradox most miss: Freedom without structure = anxiety Structure without trust = resentment Structure WITH trust = performance Your team doesn't want to guess what "good" looks like. They want to KNOW the standard… Then exceed it in their own way. 💡 The Anti-Pattern That Reveals Everything Watch for this signal in your agency: If you're the bottleneck for decisions... If nothing moves without your approval... If your team waits for permission to think... You've built a DEPENDENCY system. Not a PERFORMANCE system. And dependency systems die the moment you try to scale. 💡 The Implementation Reality This shift isn't about removing yourself. It's about changing WHERE you add value: ↗️ Less Time On: Reviewing every email Approving minor decisions Checking daily outputs Fixing tactical problems ↗️ More Time On: Defining clear standards Coaching strategic thinking Removing systemic blockers Celebrating autonomous wins The irony? When you STOP micromanaging... Quality goes UP. Because ownership creates accountability that supervision never can. What's your experience with this paradox? P.S. Have you found the balance between structure and ownership, or are you still navigating that tension?

The Power of Truth vs The Speed of Lies. In Pashto, there is a profound proverb: "چې رښتیا راځي، دروغو کلي روان کړي وي", which translates to "By the time the truth arrives, the lies have already destroyed the villages" This simple yet powerful phrase resonates deeply with many of us, especially in today's fast-paced, digitally connected world. I have personally observed a lot of such challenges, being engaged in so many platforms and so many networks. It speaks to a universal truth: lies, misinformation, and deception can spread rapidly, causing damage and disruption long before the truth even has a chance to catch up. 💡 Why Does This Matter for us? In our personal and professional lives, we often see how quickly false narratives can take root. Whether it’s workplace rumors, misleading news, or incomplete data, lies can disrupt progress, damage reputations, and erode trust. By the time the real story surfaces, the damage is often done. Villages—communities, organizations, or even entire societies—have already been damaged, struggling to undo the harm caused. As leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals, we must be vigilant in promoting and upholding truth. It may be slower to unearth truth, but when it does, it has the power to heal, rebuild, and set things right. What Can We Do? Always verify information before acting on it or sharing it, especially in the digital age where falsehoods can go viral in minutes. Create an environment where people feel safe to speak the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. A culture of transparency helps to prevent the spread of falsehoods. As professionals, we must be examples of truth-telling. Even when it’s difficult, speaking truth to power, clients, or colleagues builds credibility in the long run. Truth often takes time to emerge fully. Being patient and giving space for deeper understanding can prevent hasty decisions that may be based on incomplete or inaccurate information. As we navigate our careers, businesses, and lives, let us always choose the path of integrity, even when it takes longer, because when truth arrives, it is always worth the wait ✌ Questions for my readers: What are your thoughts on truth and integrity in today's fast-paced digital world? How do you navigate the challenges of misinformation in your work? Comment Below. Let’s keep this conversation going👇 #Leadership #Integrity #Truth #ProfessionalDevelopment #Wisdom #Proverbs #Pashto #Transparency