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Employee Trust is Dipping: Leadership Steps to Turn the Tide

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Employee Trust is Dipping: Leadership Steps to Turn the Tide

The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer revealed a concerning decline in employee trust, with only 75% believing employers “do the right thing,” down 3 points from prior years, signaling a widening gap amid workplace challenges. 

This HR Spotlight article compiles insights from business leaders and HR professionals on practical steps to rebuild trust. 

Experts emphasize transparent communication, active listening, and following through on commitments to foster authenticity. 

They recommend regular check-ins, psychological safety measures, personalized growth plans, and inclusive practices like cultural competency. 

By owning mistakes, soliciting feedback, and aligning actions with values, leaders can enhance morale, reduce stress, and create environments where employees feel valued, ultimately driving productivity and loyalty in uncertain times.

Read on!

Simon Fabb
CEO, ChiefJobs

Rebuilding employee trust starts with being honest and consistent. Leaders should show they understand what matters to their teams by listening carefully and acting on feedback.

Transparency matters too – explaining decisions clearly helps people feel involved rather than left out. It also means following through on promises because trust fades when actions don’t match words.

Creating chances for genuine connection through regular check-ins or informal chats helps people feel valued beyond their work.

Owning up to mistakes and taking responsibility can strengthen trust, showing the organisation is made up of real people, not just rules.

Transparency, Consistency Rebuild Employee Trust

Mauricio Velásquez
President & Founder, DTG

Be transparent, don’t just make and share decisions without context or explanation. Explain how you came to make said decision and get input ahead of the decision from all parties involved.

Communicate regularly—state of the business, industry, emerging trends—regular “all hands meetings.” Recommit to Mission, Vision, and Core Values and hold all to account; none of this “Well this person is a Senior Leader—they will not be held to the same standards.”

Is your organization Psychologically Safe? Do we have high or low trust teams? Are you approachable as a Manager/Leader—do you solicit feedback to improve without getting defensive? Are people afraid to share contrarian ideas, suggestions, and recommendations?

Do you think your team members are holding back—for fear of retaliation? Do you allow bullies, toxic people to “roam free and dominate?” SMR Covey says “Leadership is getting results in a way that inspires trust.”

We ask in our Trust-Psychological Safety workshops what we are doing (as Leaders/Managers) every day to Build Trust and Undermine Trust (behaviorally, might be unintentional)? Never say “This was needed to know and you did not need to know”—destroys trust.

Transparent Communication Fosters Psychological Safety

Balaram Thapa
Co-Founder & Travel Advisor, Nepal Hiking Team

Emphasizing cultural competency and inclusive narratives can have a powerful impact on rebuilding trust within the workplace.

When employees see their diverse backgrounds and stories authentically represented and celebrated, it fosters a deeper connection and commitment to the organization.

Creating spaces where employees can share personal stories related to their cultural backgrounds and experiences can be transformative. This practice encourages open dialogue, breaks down stereotypes, and enhances mutual understanding across teams.

As people relate on a human level beyond job titles, trust organically grows. Support these initiatives with clear actions, like incorporating learnings into company policies and celebrations, demonstrating that the company values every individual’s story.

Cultural Stories Enhance Workplace Trust

Andy Kolodgie
Founder, Sell My House Fast

To rebuild trust in such a scenario, focus on personalizing professional growth. While companies often emphasize generic career pathways, tailoring growth plans to individual skills and aspirations can make a huge difference.

Engage employees in regular one-on-one conversations not just about performance, but about their career aspirations and personal growth goals.

Empower managers to help team members access resources, training, or mentorship opportunities that align with these personal goals. This approach shows that the company values them as individuals, not just cogs in a machine.

When employees feel their unique contributions and potential are recognized, trust grows. This method fosters a stronger, more personal connection between employees and employers, bridging the trust gap effectively.

Personalized Growth Boosts Employee Confidence

Zarina Bahadur
CEO & Founder, 123 Baby Box

Focusing on transparent compensation practices can be an effective way to rebuild trust in the workplace. When employees have a clear understanding of how salaries are determined, they perceive a fair and equitable work environment.

Sharing information on pay ranges and the criteria for promotions or raises demystifies the process and reduces skepticism.

Implementing an open forum or Q&A sessions where employees can discuss their compensation concerns or gain clarity on the company’s financial strategies fosters trust.

This approach, while not as commonly discussed as open-door policies or feedback loops, addresses the fundamental issue of fairness and transparency in the workplace—key factors in building and maintaining trust.

Transparent Pay Practices Build Trust

Shannon Alter
Leadership Coach, Communications Expert & Founder, Leaders Exceed

Trust must be earned and the easiest way to earn trust with your employees is to be open, honest and communicate with authenticity and transparency. As the CEO or team leader, it’s your responsibility to lead by example.

To boost trust, optimism and unlock loyalty, senior leaders need to start here:
Think of your organization as a “handshake” kind of business. Employees want to shake your hand and look you in the eye in the process – that’s how you begin to build trust.

In a fast-paced, hybrid working world, communication is more awkward and more transactional than ever. To combat this, leaders must take time to actually talk with their teams. People want to be seen and heard.

Make interactions intentional. Don’t just show up to your office and hope for the best. Instead, actively seek out opportunities to interact with employees. It works at building connection, a sense of belonging and also trust.

Don’t abandon one-on-ones with your team because you’re busy. These are a prime opportunity to really understand what’s going on in the business, from the very people who are helping you build the business. It’s a great opportunity to listen and show your team that you value them.

Authentic Interactions Drive Team Trust

Alex Johnson
CEO, Man & Van Star

Rebuilding trust in the modern working world begins with transparency, coupled with consistent action that is closely aligned with the values of the business. I have witnessed this personally while orchestrating moves for clients feeling uncertain: communication and keeping your eye on the ball worked to settle nerves, engender confidence and keep everyone moving in the same direction.

There are some pragmatic considerations too, such as listening to employee issues and easing financial burdens through competitive salary and support programmes – particularly when fears over affordability are a key trust factor.

Managers must also ‘prove’ their credence by honesty about issues and through involving workers in decision-making to stop them feeling excluded.

Creating a culture of inclusivity that encourages difficult discussions about diversity and civility also helps mend broken relationships. Lastly, investing in employee growth through reskilling and career development is a sign of playing the long game and it helps deepen loyalty.

Such efforts build the basis for trust that can lift moral and lead to better business results.

Inclusive Actions Strengthen Employee Loyalty

Renante Hayes
Executive Director, Creloaded

To rebuild trust in today’s workplace, leaders must first embrace consistent, transparent communication. This means sharing both successes and challenges openly.

Second, implement actionable feedback loops where employee input directly influences decisions, with clear attribution when their ideas are implemented.

Third, leaders must visibly demonstrate integrity by honoring commitments, admitting mistakes, and aligning actions with stated values.

Finally, recognize that trust-building isn’t a one-time initiative but requires sustained effort through regular check-ins and accountability measures.

In my experience, trust doesn’t come from grand gestures but from countless small moments of authenticity and follow-through that demonstrate genuine respect for employees as stakeholders in the organization’s future.

Consistent Transparency Increases Trust Levels

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Authenticity in Action: How Leaders Can Restore Workplace Trust

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Authenticity in Action: How Leaders Can Restore Workplace Trust

The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals a global decline in employee trust, with only 75% believing their employers “do the right thing,” signaling a critical trust gap. 

This HR Spotlight article gathers insights from business leaders and HR professionals on practical steps to rebuild trust. 

From transparent communication and authentic leadership to creating safe feedback channels and consistent follow-through, these experts share strategies to address skepticism while aligning with business goals. 

Their actionable approaches, like visible micro-consistency and employee-centric platforms, offer a roadmap to foster loyalty, enhance engagement, and close the trust gap in today’s dynamic workplace.

Read on!

Jared Pope
Founder & CEO, Work Shield

In light of growing concern around employee trust, one of the most important and actionable steps a company can take is ensuring employees feel heard and protected.

Create a Work Shield to help organizations foster workplaces of integrity and trust by giving employees a secure way to report misconduct–without fear of retaliation.

As the first and only end-to-end third-party misconduct management solution, Work Shield demonstrates a company’s genuine commitment to integrity, which is essential to rebuilding trust.

Secure Reporting Rebuilds Employee Trust

Hayden Cohen
CEO, Hire With Near

The only way to really rebuild this kind of trust is to actually do the right thing.

From an employee’s perspective, that means being loyal to them, but it can also mean taking moral stands that align with employee values and even making smart business decisions.

Whatever you do, don’t start talking about how moral and trustworthy you are in your internal communications. Let your actions speak for themselves.

Trust is Built by Actions, not Words

Spencer Romenco
Chief Growth Strategist, Growth Spurt

Trust is hard-earned currency in marketing, and it’s not limited to customer relationships, it starts internally.

At our company, we help brands rebuild consumer trust by being there as human, authentic, and transparent.

Employees are the first ambassadors, so trust issues internally have the potential to impact everything externally, specifically how a brand is received by customers.

When we’re talking about rebuilding trust in DTC brands, we’re not giving get-your-corporate-gloss-on PR phrases or “brand tone” tweaks. What we do is tell the truth, show the flaws, and speak openly about product testing, sourcing, and how we set prices.

My number one strategy for trust-building I have discovered is authentic content, whether it’s UGC reviews, behind-the-scenes content, or real-life usage scenarios.

On top of that, we have seen customers get real traction with open talk in their marketing. Instead of hawking perfection, we show customers real problems being solved in real life.

Customers do not require perfection, customers require brands to take responsibility and make something that resonates for them. That’s how you approach trust not through guarantees, but through open books.

So, sure, you can’t simply hang a “We Care About Trust” sign on your page and call it a day, but you can align your people around your brand story because trust starts inside and extends outside.

No company rebuilds trust without genuine alignment on values and communication, internally and externally.

Authentic Content Rebuilds Brand Trust

Kyle Sobko
CEO, Sonder Care

Where trust is the basis of how we support both clients and employees.

Trust can be rebuilt with employees through continued transparent communication. When decision-makers communicate not just their successes but also their setbacks, they minimize uncertainty and build trust. We regularly and openly discuss with our teams, and this is true even when we don’t share good news.

One of the ways I do this is through regular weekly check-ins which allows for feedback to flow both ways. This allows us to build a culture of feedback where people know they were valued and heard.

Trust is earned under specific actions that align with your words. This means that doing what you say you will is critical.

It is about creating an environment of stability and reliability where employees can speak openly and their contribution is valued. This simple practice significantly increased our trust and engagement within the team.

Transparent Communication Rebuilds Employee Trust

Matt Bowman
CEO & Founder, Thrive Local

After 18 years leading a business with both local and global teams, I’ve learned that rebuilding trust isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about MICRO-CONSISTENCY. Start by over-communicating decisions and the “why” behind them.

Second, put faces to leadership. Let teams hear from people, not departments. I’ve held weekly 15-minute “Ask Me Anything” calls across time zones—those built more goodwill than any memo ever could.

Third, own your missteps publicly and promptly. “We got this wrong. Here’s what we’re doing to fix it,” earns more loyalty than spin.

Trust Rebuilds Through Micro-Consistency

Bennett Barrier
Chief Executive Officer, DFW Turf

I run a field-heavy business in Texas. Turf crews, site leads, logistics. Not a Fortune 500, but we’ve got boots on the ground year-round. And I’ll tell you what erodes trust fastest: telling your team something’s handled when it isn’t. No survey, memo, or bonus program makes up for that.

We had a stretch where we overpromised on equipment upgrades. Said new trucks were coming, better blade kits were ordered, and schedule shifts were being reviewed. None of it hit the calendar fast enough. Morale dipped, not because the gear was late, but because guys stopped believing what leadership said.

So, we scrapped the big talk and flipped the play. We now use what we call visible proof updates.

If we say something’s coming, new trailer, adjusted start time, pay structure tweak, we show the change in writing, confirm it twice, and let crews see the impact within a week. No vague rollouts. No in Q3 noise.

Trust doesn’t drop because people are ungrateful. It drops because they hear one thing and see another.

You want to fix that gap? Get small promises right, every time. If the word doesn’t match the walk, no survey metric’s going to save you. That’s the part the trust barometers miss; it’s not the culture slides that count. It’s the follow-through that lands.

Visible Proof Builds Trust and Follow-Through

Walt Brown
Founder, Walt Brown

Start by listening—really listening.

Run a simple, anonymous BITE7 survey to understand where trust is breaking down across the Seven Critical Needs: Belonging, Belief, Accountability, Measurement, Being Heard, Development, and Balance. Don’t guess. Measure.

Then, act with transparency. Share the results with your team. Own the gaps. Pick one issue and fix it visibly. Small, consistent wins rebuild trust faster than grand gestures.

And finally, tighten your structure. When people know who’s doing what, how decisions are made, and that leadership follows through, trust follows.

Listen, Act, Structure to Rebuild Trust

Jennifer Mihajlov
EVP North America, Leading Workplace

Rebuilding trust begins with consistent transparency and authentic communication. Employees need ongoing opportunities for real-time feedback, not just annual surveys to feel genuinely heard.

AI-powered platforms that capture employee insights continuously and enable leaders to respond quickly and personally to concerns are essential.

Trust grows when employees see clear follow-through on commitments and receive recognition tailored to their individual contributions. Equally important is leadership modeling accountability by admitting mistakes and demonstrating a sincere commitment to improvement.

This continuous cycle of listening, acting, and communicating builds a foundation where employees feel valued and secure, effectively closing the trust gap and fostering a culture of loyalty and engagement.

Consistent Transparency Rebuilds Employee Trust

David Rice
HR Expert, People Managing People

Moving people along in their career journeys in a way that maintains trust you’re building through empathy and transparency will require some coaching and investment in training.

Being transparent is great, but if you don’t back it up by showing people you value them by investing in their skills, then why wouldn’t they jump to the next logical conclusion, which is at some point you’re not going to need them? That’s what they’re used to hearing and the leader’s tone on this has not been helpful thus far.

Neither has the decision-making in many sectors where organizations have blindly adopted AI at the expense of people. But in any case, people think they can’t trust the organization that leaves them to figure out how to do all of this on their own.

So you’ve got to help them see it and give them the resources to make the necessary moves to get to where they need to go.

Transparency Needs Investment in People’s Skills

Rabbi Shlomo Slatkin
Certified Imago Therapist & Advanced Clinician, The Marriage Restoration Project

In our work, we’ve seen that the first step to rebuilding trust is creating a safe space for honest, non-defensive dialogue. That means leaders have to go first—they must show humility, take ownership of mistakes, and invite feedback without punishing vulnerability.

From there, consistency becomes key. Trust doesn’t come back all at once—it’s rebuilt one interaction at a time. I often say, ‘The repair is more important than the rupture.’ So don’t aim for perfection—aim for presence. Show up, listen deeply, and make integrity visible through your actions.

Rebuilding Trust: Intentional Effort, Not Time

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Leadership Habits: Dropping the Bad, Picking Up the Good

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Leadership Habits: Dropping the Bad, Picking Up the Good

Effective leadership hinges on evolving habits to meet modern challenges. 

This HR Spotlight article compiles insights from business leaders and HR professionals on one leadership habit they intentionally dropped and one they adopted in recent years, along with the tangible outcomes. 

From abandoning over-control to embracing empowerment, or shifting from reactive availability to strategic clarity, these leaders reveal how purposeful changes drive success. 

Their approaches foster stronger teams, enhance efficiency, and build innovative cultures, providing practical lessons for leaders navigating today’s complex business landscape with intentionality, trust, and sustainable impact.

Read on!

Alanna D’Antonio Garcia
Co-Founder & CEO, Evoke Realty

I have slowly had to reprogram myself from certain leadership habits.

One habit in particular that I dropped was making myself constantly available to our agents. Leaving my calendar wide open assuming they would make meetings with me, and then feeling deflated when no one scheduled time with me. It led to burnout, blurred boundaries and small resentment that started to fester. In turn, I replaced it with the habit of protecting my time and energy.

Now I set clear availability windows and require agents to get on my calendar via my assistant. This way I can prioritize deep, intentional conversations over constant accessibility.

The direct outcome ended up being a win-win for everyone. I was able to take control of my calendar with less frustration, protect my peace and it created a healthier dynamic with the agents and gave me the capacity to focus on vision, strategy, and scaling our brokerage.

Protecting Time Boosts Leadership and Results

Aaron Kenny
Founder & HR Delivery Consultant, A1HR Consulting

I consciously dropped the habit of over-explaining decisions to my team in an attempt to gain buy-in.

While transparency is key, I realised I was diluting clarity by over-justifying every move. In its place, I adopted a habit of framing decisions around clear business priorities and trusting my team to engage or challenge constructively if needed.

The outcome? Quicker alignment, less second-guessing, and a stronger culture of accountability. This shift allowed me to lead with more conviction, and my team responded by stepping up with greater ownership and initiative.

Clarity and Trust Replace Over-Explaining

Corina Tham
Finance & Sales Director, Cheap Forex VPS

One leadership practice I intentionally let go of was micromanaging my team.

I found it hindered innovation, dampened enthusiasm, and stopped my team members from reaching their true capabilities. Instead, I embraced delegating responsibilities with confidence and offering clear direction from the outset. This shift cultivated a sense of ownership and responsibility among the group.

The result was increased efficiency, better-quality results, and a more energized and committed team dynamic.

Delegation Replaces Micromanagement for Growth

Oleksii Kratko
Founder & CEO, Snov

The habit I buried was treating my calendar like a Tetris game of back-to-back meetings, jamming every gap with “efficiency.”

In our early days, I’d review minor code commits between investor calls, mistaking motion for momentum. This created a culture of performative busyness where engineers stopped proposing wild ideas, fearing I’d micromanage execution.

Now, I practice “trust sprints”: quarterly experiments where I delegate one mission-critical project with zero oversight. Last quarter, I handed our team a blank check to rebuild our compliance engine, no approvals needed for 90 days. They returned with an AI architecture so elegant it reduced customer onboarding by 40%.

My team now sends Loom updates titled “Look what we built without asking!”, which are some of the proudest notifications I receive.

Sometimes leadership means removing yourself from the equation so brilliance can breathe.

Trust Sprints Empower Team Brilliance

Karen Watts
Founder, DomiSource

Early on, I thought good leadership meant fast response times. Be available, be reactive, fix things in real-time. It nearly broke me. I was solving the same fires over and over because I wasn’t stepping back to notice why they kept happening.

Now, I log it. I watch for patterns. If it shows up more than once, it earns a place in the system. That shift is why DomiSource runs clean – and why I don’t get midnight calls anymore.

The direct outcome? Fewer “hero moments,” more sustainable execution. My team doesn’t need me in a panic. They need structure, and they get it.

Leadership is about being calm enough to build something that holds, with or without you.

Systematic Leadership Beats Fire-Fighting

Felicia Shakiba
CEO & Executive Coach, CPO PLAYBOOK

The habit I let go of: Always being available. I used to think responsiveness showed strong leadership, but it created bottlenecks and drained both me and my team.

The habit I adopted: Weekly time blocks for deep thinking—no meetings, no distractions. It’s now the most productive part of my week and has helped me make clearer, faster decisions.

That one shift set a new tone for how my clients lead too—especially during high-pressure growth or turnaround moments. When leaders model focus, the rest of the organization follows.

Time Blocking Improves Leadership Focus

Vanessa Anello
Certificate Program Strategist & Facilitator, Workforce Charm

I dropped the habit of trying to control team energy.

Not only was it ineffective, but it was exhausting. I used to try to micromanage momentum, especially as a Facilitator for live certificate programs and workshops (“Welcome, everyone! Let’s stay energized!”).

Now I lean into deliberately shaping the sensory and emotional cues of a room instead of dominating the conversation. This means using lighting, sound, spatial cues (props, material placement , camera angle, are my hands in the shot?- yes that matters, gallery view vs speaker view, using the reaction buttons, interactive tools, etc.) and even pauses to change how people feel.

It’s not just what they hear. I don’t harp on “Be on camera!!!”.

One unexpected benefit was that participation shot up in my workshops and our cert programs. The shift from message-driven to energy-calibrated leadership created more resonance and less resistance. It’s high-leverage, low-cost and almost never taught.

Energy-Calibrated Leadership Creates More Resonance

Nate Chang
Chief Marketing Officer, Sequel Brands

I dropped the habit of being the central problem-solver and instead adopted a leadership style rooted in trust and alignment. 

I thrive in fast-paced, high-pressure environments, but I realized that real momentum comes when the team moves in sync, not just quickly. 

We’ve built a culture of shared ownership by creating space for others to step up, contribute and lead within their roles. It’s not about individual decisions; it’s about shared clarity and collective direction. 

That shift has empowered my teams to move confidently, make smart calls and keep each other accountable. 

The result? More cohesion, faster execution and creativity that resonates because it’s built through collective purpose, not just individual drive.

Trust, Alignment Replace Central Problem-Solving

Jason Post
Founder & Director, Retirement Home Insider

When I started getting promoted into leadership roles of greater responsibility, I became uber focused on results.

In leadership meetings, it was regularly a conversation that started:
“Where are we on….”, “How are we doing…”? My meetings were always driven by questions around whatever project, or metric my department was chasing.

After a while, my messaging became stale and my team began to tune me out.

One day I was with a colleague and he was with a leader on a conference call. He started by saying – “How can I help you?”

I realized later he was focused on their needs, in order to get his objectives met.

It was a mic drop moment – stop being focused just on your goals – you can achieve more by helping your team as well.

Every conversation I have now, includes a standard question “What can I help YOU with?”

Lead With “What Can I Help You With?”

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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The Productivity Problem No One Talks About: Working Against Employee Instincts

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The Productivity Problem No One Talks About: Working Against Employee Instincts

By  David Kolbe, CEO, Kolbe Corp

The marketing team wasn’t working, and Sarah was the star hire everyone expected to transform it. Stanford MBA, five years at top agencies, glowing references. The team and the company were data- and process-driven. The Chief Marketing Officer looked forward to Sarah’s new energy and insight to drive fresh analysis.

Sarah had access to all the market data and a budget for gathering whatever else she needed. There were well-established systems to keep the team on track. But nothing changed. Sarah’s proven knack for intuitive insight and bold yet calculated risk-taking was nowhere to be seen.

The CMO wondered what was wrong with Sarah. The truth was, nothing was wrong with her. The problem was that she wasn’t given the chance to use her strengths in simplifying complex problems and experimenting with novel solutions.

This is what happens when you keep hiring smart, capable people but don’t let them use their strengths. Spending months trying to fix them with coaching, training, and performance improvement plans isn’t going to be the solution.

You’re trying to solve the wrong problem.

For decades, organizations have measured two things about employees:

Skills – how smart they are and what training and experience they have

Temperament – how they interact with others and if they’re a culture fit

Both matter. But there’s a third part of the mind that actually drives performance:

Instinctive Strengths – how they naturally take action when solving problems; specifically, how people execute on the tasks of their job (what’s also known as conation)

The Key Factor People Don’t Know

Here’s what’s been missing from most productivity initiatives: they’ve been built on an incomplete understanding of how people actually work.

While Myers-Briggs® tells you whether someone is an introvert or extrovert and CliftonStrength® identifies what energizes them at work, the Kolbe A™ Index tells you how they will take action when free to do things their way.

Some people instinctively need to research thoroughly before acting. Others need to dive in and learn by doing. Neither is right nor wrong, but when you force someone to work against these instincts, productivity collapses.

Sarah wasn’t failing because she lacked intelligence or drive. She was pulled down when she was forced to operate in a way that thwarted her strengths.

The Missing Foundation

I worked with a sales team that was missing every quarterly target despite having experienced reps and solid leads. The Sales Director was convinced his team lacked discipline and follow-through.

The Director was naturally wired to create detailed processes and systematic tracking procedures. His team was full of people who thrived on taking risks and adapting quickly to opportunities—exactly what you need to close deals under pressure.

The Director expected everyone to work like he did, saddling the risk-takers with detailed procedures and constant reporting. They initially followed his systems, which sapped their energy and quickly became counterproductive. Eventually, they gave up and started ignoring the processes entirely, focusing on what actually moved deals forward. He saw this as insubordination. They saw his processes as obstacles to results. The relationship deteriorated while systems broke down.

When Good Teams Produce Poor Results

We made three strategic changes:

– Moved their best innovators into outbound roles where they could prospect and open new accounts, with systematic coordinators ensuring company processes and CRM requirements were handled


– Put process-oriented people in account management roles where they could provide consistent service and systematic follow-up for existing clients


– Created clear handoffs between hunting and farming so each person worked in their natural sweet spot while still being accountable for defined results

The results? The Director stopped feeling like he was fighting the team. People finally understood their different approaches to getting results. Rep satisfaction scores improved significantly. Most importantly, the team exceeded the next quarter’s targets.

The Solution That Actually Worked

You’ve been addressing surface-level behaviors instead of understanding the fundamental ways people operate. It’s like treating a fever without diagnosing the infection.

Once you understand how someone instinctively approaches problems, you have new, durable solutions to problems that seemed unsolvable:

– Leadership development actually sticks when it aligns with natural strengths

– Change management initiatives become easier and smoother when they adapt to how people naturally handle change

– Team collaboration improves when people understand each other’s approaches

Why Your Current Solutions Keep Failing

Leadership Development That Actually Develops

Before investing in more leadership training, understand how your emerging leaders naturally approach problems. Some instinctively drive innovation and change. Others naturally stabilize and improve existing systems. Both are valuable, but they need different development paths.

Making Distributed Work Actually Work

Remote collaboration fails when you force everyone to work the same way. Some people need detailed planning and structure to be effective remotely. Others thrive with flexibility and autonomy. Design systems that accommodate both styles instead of fighting against them.

Hiring for Performance, Not Interviews

Start hiring people whose instinctive problem-solving approach fits what the job actually requires. Which marketing role needs breakthrough innovation? Don’t hire the thorough researcher who wants to analyze every data point just because they have impressive credentials.

What This Means for Your Biggest HR Challenges

Start with your most persistent productivity problems—the teams that seem stuck, the high-performers who suddenly plateau, the conflicts that keep recurring despite intervention.

Instead of asking “What training do they need?” ask “Are we tapping into people’s strengths?”

Look at Sarah’s story. Once her manager understood she was built to simplify and innovate, they restructured her role. She became the catalyst that drove the team to break away from analysis paralysis and risk aversion. Unshackled, she fulfilled her promise and became the team’s greatest asset.

This doesn’t mean letting people do whatever they want. Leaders still define deliverables and hold people accountable for outcomes. The freedom is in how people achieve those defined results, not whether they achieve them.

A Simple Place to Start

You’ve been trying to change people instead of understanding them. You’ve been building productivity solutions on an incomplete foundation.

As you navigate leadership challenges, distributed teams, and pressure to deliver more with less, here’s what remains constant: people still need to solve problems and make decisions. The question is whether you’re working with their instinctive problem-solving abilities or against them.

When you align roles with how people are naturally wired to act, those persistent productivity problems finally start solving themselves.

The Bottom Line

About David Kolbe

David Kolbe, CEO of Kolbe Corp, has lived and breathed the Kolbe Concept® his whole life. He is an author, speaker, and visionary behind many of Kolbe’s products and innovations. He is known for his ability to help business leaders unleash innovation through their people. David has assisted thousands of professionals through seminars and speaking engagements on topics such as hiring, organizational design and team building. His expertise in legal, financial, intellectual property and management issues gives him an edge when turning innovation into profit. David’s lasting mark on Kolbe Corp began with helping to develop the original algorithm for the company’s flagship Kolbe ATM Index. Along with Kolbe Corp President Amy Bruske, David penned Do More, More Naturally, the go-to guide for effortless success.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Leading with Trust: Actionable Advice for HR and Business Leaders in 2025

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Leading with Trust: Actionable Advice for HR and Business Leaders in 2025

In today’s fast-evolving and uncertain economic landscape, employee trust is a vital yet delicate organizational asset. 

Recent surveys highlight a global decline in trust, signaling a weakening of the employer-employee bond. 

This poses a critical challenge for leaders and HR professionals: how to restore trust and foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and psychological safety to strengthen resilience. 

Drawing from insights of business executives and HR experts, this article offers practical, actionable strategies. 

From ethical leadership to transparent communication and true partnership, these leaders provide a roadmap for creating a workplace rooted in honesty and shared purpose.

Read on!

Meyr Aviv
Founder & CEO, iMoving

In light of the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer findings, it’s clear that businesses must take bold steps to regain employee trust. 

At iMoving, we prioritize transparency by involving our team in decision-making processes and openly sharing both successes and challenges.

Additionally, fostering a culture of recognition and empowerment can bridge the trust gap, proving that authenticity and accountability are non-negotiable in today’s workplace. 

It’s time for leaders to shift from mere policies to genuine relationships—because trust isn’t built through words, but through consistent actions.

Transparency and Relationships Rebuild Trust

Eugene Leow
Director, Marketing Agency Singapore

After a stressful Q4 where deadlines piled up and communication frayed, we saw morale dip. 

I started doing something deceptively simple: every end of week, I’d write a “behind-the-scenes” email explaining why leadership made certain decisions that week: what went wrong, what we learned, and what’s next. 

It turned transparency into a routine, not a reaction. Within a month, feedback loops got healthier and cross-team assumptions dropped. 

Trust rebuilds when leaders stop gatekeeping context and start narrating the journey openly even when it’s messy.

Open Transparency Rebuilds Team Trust

Samuel Huang
CEO, Tele Ads Agency

A few years back, when the whole company got restructured, I made a stop to productivity due to trust issues which were not caused by any skill shortage. I found out that trust is not a one-off agreement; it is something you do every day.

For transparency to be rebuilt, it should be practiced radically.

Leaders have to speak their business problems out loud and give all workers the freedom to suggest solutions. I hold monthly sessions named “Ask Me Anything” where every issue is up for discussion; these have been built as a foundation for our culture.

The next important thing is the ongoing acknowledgment which, in contrast to just recognizing results, helps employees by reminding them they are appreciated.

Lastly, doing what you say you will do is the most important. Unfulfilled promises destroy credibility even more quickly than any company policy can fix.

The trust that has been stretched, will not restore itself immediately. But with consistent, human-centered leadership, it can be more robust than ever before.

Trust is a Daily Leadership Practice

Kevin Heimlich
CEO & Founder, The Ad Firm

In my experience running a fast-moving digital marketing agency, trust breaks down when people feel ignored, unclear, or undervalued. 

Rebuilding it requires returning to fundamentals such as clear communication, follow-through, and showing up consistently.

The first thing I do is talk to the team directly, not through memos or long emails but through actual conversations. I ask where things went wrong and what they need from leadership moving forward. Then I act on it. Trust doesn’t come back through promises; it comes from visible changes.

People don’t expect perfection. But they do expect honesty and consistency. If you say you’re going to fix something, do it. If you made a mistake, own it. Small and persistent behaviors are more important than any big speech.

Trust Returns Through Visible Changes

Marin Cristian Ovidiu
CEO, OnlineGames

Trust is more than just being correct—it is being authentic.

Thus, we took a leap into complete openness. We made the roadmaps public, acknowledged our errors, and delivered the reasons behind every decision, even when they were not favorable.

To be able to reconstruct trust, you have to show the same effort in three areas: communication, accountability, and involvement. Talk to people often and sincerely—even if there is uncertainty. Apply the same rules on leadership as on the rest of the team. And bring employees into important discussions to make them feel included, not isolated.

Trust is being rebuilt, not through big actions, but through daily proof of the value you attach to people’s time, voice, and wellbeing.

The gap of trust cannot be closed with a single action, but little transparent steps can make a significant difference in a short time.

Honest Transparency Rebuilds Employee Trust

Andrew Lokenauth
Founder, TheFinanceNewsletter.com

I’ve learned that rebuilding trust isn’t just about fancy programs or HR initiatives — it’s about consistent, tangible actions. Last March, we faced a major trust crisis after a restructuring that didn’t go as planned (honestly, it was pretty messy).

The first thing I did was implement complete financial transparency. I started sharing our quarterly numbers — the good & the bad — with everyone. Not just the executive summaries, but the actual data.

When we missed our Q3 targets, I walked the entire team through why it happened & what we were gonna do about it. That transparency alone boosted our internal trust metrics by ~25%.

One of the biggest wins came from our “open-door Wednesday” policy. Every Wednesday, my office door stays open for 4 hours straight. Any employee can walk in & talk about anything. Sometimes it’s about budgets, sometimes it’s about their career concerns. The thing is, it’s not just about listening — it’s about taking action. When someone pointed out our outdated expense policy was causing frustration, we changed it within 48 hours.

I’ve found that money talks when it comes to trust. We implemented a profit-sharing program that’s tied directly to company performance. Everyone — from entry-level to senior management — gets the same % based on our quarterly results. It’s amazing how trust grows when people can see their direct connection to company success.

But here’s something that might surprise you — I actually started sharing my own mistakes in our monthly town halls. Like when I miscalculated our expansion budget by $500K. Being vulnerable about my own screw-ups has made a huge difference in how people view leadership. They see us as human, not just suits in corner offices.

Communication is crucial, but I’ve learned it needs to be consistent & predictable.

We now have a strict “no surprises” policy for major company announcements. Everything gets communicated at least 2 weeks in advance, with clear explanations of the ‘why’ behind decisions.And speaking of decisions — we’ve completely changed how we make them. Now we use what I call the “3-2-1 method”: 3 possible solutions presented, 2 rounds of employee feedback, 1 final decision with clear reasoning. When we were deciding on our new healthcare provider, this approach led to 90% employee satisfaction with the final choice.

The hardest part for me personally was learning to say “I don’t know” more often. In finance, we’re trained to always have answers. But I’ve found that admitting uncertainty & then following up with research builds more trust than trying to have all the answers immediately.

One thing that’s been particularly effective is our monthly “numbers & narratives” sessions. Instead of just presenting data, we share stories about how our decisions affect real people. When we increased our R&D budget by $2M, we had the actual researchers share how it impacted their work.

From my experience, rebuilding trust takes time — usually 6-8 months to see real change. But the investment is worth it. Our employee retention has improved by 35% since implementing these changes, & our productivity metrics are up significantly.

The most important lesson I’ve learned: trust isn’t built in big moments, it’s built in small, consistent actions over time. And it starts at the top — if leaders aren’t willing to be transparent, vulnerable, & accountable, no amount of programs or initiatives will make a difference.

I regularly discuss this and have many years experience, so I’d love to help! I’ve earned my degree in this area and held leadership positions across institutions such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and Citi. I can also share your article with my 100,000+ newsletter subscribers.

Rebuilding Trust: Small Actions, Big Impact

Christopher Falvey
Co-Founder, Unique NOLA Tours

No matter the size of the business, always involve employees in decisions that affect them. There is no better way to gain trust than having employees partake in the actions that need to be trusted.

Lack of trust is easy to fall into when decisions are made without input from those you’re asking to have trust in you. People believe in what they have a stake in.

Involve Employees in Decisions to Gain Trust

Dr. Beth Ribarsky
Director & Professor, School of Communication & Media

People first framework – Recently, my program underwent a significant change in leadership. 

My new dean stepped in with a “people first framework” – prioritizing the well-being and interests of the faculty and staff within our college. 

He focused less on what employees could do for him and more on how he could help employees. 

He sought out to engage with faculty and staff on a personal level through actions such as walking the hallways and stopping in to chat or swinging by a departmental happy hour. 

As simple as it sounds, these actions created a shift in the culture of our college – one marked by trust and transparency. 

Seeing how this transformed the culture, as a new leader of my specific program, I implemented a similar perspective – being transparent with budgets and decisions and seeking ways to recognize my faculty members on a personal level.

People-First Leadership Builds Trust and Transparency

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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From Autopilot to Purpose: Transformative Habit Shifts

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From Autopilot to Purpose: Transformative Habit Shifts

Leadership habits shape organizational success, and adapting them intentionally can yield transformative results. 

This HR Spotlight article gathers insights from business leaders and HR professionals on one habit they consciously dropped and one they adopted in recent years, along with the direct outcomes. 

From abandoning micromanagement to embracing delegation, or shifting from over-efforting to seeking ease, these leaders reveal how small changes drive big impact. 

By fostering trust, empowering teams, and prioritizing clarity, their strategies enhance collaboration, boost efficiency, and create thriving cultures, offering actionable lessons for leaders navigating today’s dynamic business landscape.

Read on!

John Baldino
President, Humareso

I have pushed back on leader-centric branding. As a founder, it is a default for an organization to focus on the high-profile leader.

This often created bottlenecks in workflows, business development and customer success.

Being deliberate in pushing leadership to others in the organization and doing so in outward ways has proven valuable to both individual contributor development and brand identity.

Distributed Leadership Builds Brand Identity

Brittany Rogars
Founder & CEO, SKF Practice Solutions

I’ve been that manager. The one who caused good people to quit. If I am honest, that’s a pretty hard pill to swallow, but it’s true.

So when I started my own business in 2022, I made myself a promise: I will never be the reason someone dreads coming to work. But saying it and living it were two very different things. To actually become the kind of leader I wanted to be, I had to make two major shifts:

– I had to let go of the belief that I had to know everything. Somewhere along the way, I picked up this idea that being a leader meant having all the answers. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. What does it mean?

It means hiring people who are better than you in areas where you’re weak. Trusting them. Learning from them. And genuinely celebrating when they shine… even when (especially when) they surpass you.

– I had to give my team clarity and trust. We did that by building our rulebook, not a dusty policy binder, but our core values: Authenticity, Knowledge, Efficiency, Accuracy, Gratitude, Integrity. These aren’t just words we stuck on the website. They are everything. We talk about them in daily huddles. We hired them. We fire them. Every single person on my team knows where we’re going and how we’re getting there, because our values are committed to memory and engraved on their hearts.

Those two shifts changed everything. My business took off. Our goals stopped feeling like wishful thinking and started becoming reality. And my team? They became more confident, capable, and engaged than ever.

As the CEO of a growing consulting company, this evolution didn’t just help the business grow, it gave me the space to lead with vision instead of just managing chaos.

If you’ve ever looked around and thought, “This isn’t working”… it might be time to look inward. Because real leadership? It’s not about control. It’s about clarity. It’s about trust. And it’s about building something people are excited to be part of.

Leadership Shifts from Control to Clarity

John Krewson
CEO, Sketch Development

One habit I’ve intentionally adopted is asking a subset of the team to develop even deeply impactful strategies without my direct involvement. On the flip side, I’ve quit trying to be involved in every brainstorming session. I used to be so involved in shaping our messaging that I’d read every blog post before it got published (and edit heavily).

The hands-on approach got us where we are, and I don’t regret it. It won’t get us where we’re going though. We have a strong brand and team in place, so there’s no reason to let my own bandwidth limit either.

The team will do things I won’t like. Occasional failures are inevitable. We won’t let the fear of failure prevent us from putting things into production so we can gather market feedback. This is exactly what I discuss in my book, and what we teach our clients.

Trusting the Team for Growth

Dr. Jaime Goff
Founder of The Empathic Leader and author, The Secure Leader

My team and I design and run our company’s flagship executive leadership program, a high-profile initiative with a large budget.

In the early cohorts, I tried to empower my team by delegating key pieces, yet as launch dates loomed my anxiety and perfectionism kicked in. I slipped into micromanagement, asking them rapid-fire questions that felt like interrogations. I was projecting my stress and undercutting their confidence.

Recognizing this pattern, I turned the spotlight inward. When visibility and pressure rise, I now pause, breathe, and use quick reflective prompts to challenge the story in my head. I still check progress but with curiosity and support rather than control. The result is a calmer leader, a more capable team, and a richer learning experience for our future executives.

Curiosity Beats Micromanagement for Leaders

Paige Arnof-Fenn
Founder & CEO, Mavens & Moguls

As a result of the pandemic I stopped spreading myself too thin by overscheduling/hitting multiple overlapping networking events, etc.

I learned to disconnect from technology and focus on cultivating human/face-to-face relationships.

Meeting for coffee/lunch even virtually not only allows you to refuel/recharge but it also accomplishes so much more than e-mail/social media posts.

I now give myself permission to say no. Whether it means sleeping in (no to an alarm clock), meditating, taking a walk, or just turning off the phone/computer (no I will respond later on my own schedule), simple acts of letting myself relax and enjoy the moment are the very best gifts I can give myself.

What I have come to appreciate and realize is that “me time” is not a luxury or pampering like it was in my youth, now it is maintenance! Doing less can be more impactful.

Disconnecting and Learning to Say No

Jeff Williams
President & CEO, Aptia Group US

One leadership habit I consciously let go of was tolerating people who lacked integrity.

I call it my personal “no jerks” rule.

I made a promise to only build and lead alongside people of real fabric, people I trust and respect. If I’m going to pour myself into building something, it has to be with people I believe in and in a culture I’m proud of. Why give myself to anything less?

On the flip side, one habit I’ve intentionally adopted is what I call the power of a little bit more.

In a world that can feel fragile and uncertain, I’ve developed a mindset of giving just a bit more to my work, to my people, to my life.

I work out a little bit stronger, love a little bit harder, hug my wife a little bit tighter.

That small shift has created a life and leadership style driven by purpose, not just productivity. It has helped me build not only successful teams but meaningful ones.

Integrity and Purpose Define Leadership

Angela Justice
Founder & Executive Coach, Justice Group Advisors

I used to believe that if I wasn’t exhausted, I probably wasn’t doing enough.

So I overfunctioned. Took on too much. Made things harder than they needed to be. And I called it leadership.

The habit I dropped was over-efforting. What I adopted instead was asking: What would make this easier?

That question changed everything. It helped me see that effort ≠ impact. Now, before I take something on—or when it starts to feel heavier than it should—I pause and ask:

– What’s the simplest path to the outcome I want?

– What would this look like if it were 20% easier?

– What might I be making harder than it needs to be?

Now I move faster, lead better, and make more space for the people around me to do the same.

Ease isn’t lazy. It’s leadership without the drag.

And when other leaders hear that, they exhale—because they’ve been carrying too much for too long.

Ease is Leadership Without the Drag

Sarah Williams
Founder & Principal, Recruit Healthcare

In recent years, I made a conscious decision to let go of micromanaging.

It was actually a family member who first said something. We were making dinner together, and (as usual) I was trying to control everything from the oven temperature to the garbage collection. What I thought was just good advice was actually undermining her abilities, and suddenly, it hit me — I do this to my employees, hovering over them, and unintentionally limiting their independence.
And, just like in the kitchen, the habit wasn’t doing me any favors.

Since then, I’ve consciously replaced micromanagement with intentional delegation.

I’ve learned to trust my team with real ownership of their work and to give them the space to make decisions and solve problems without me hovering over every detail.

The change has been transformational. The team moves faster, takes more initiative, and genuinely feels empowered in their roles when less supervised.

Intentional Delegation Replaces Micromanagement for Growth

Sheena Yap Chan
Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, The Tao of Self-Confidence

One leadership habit I consciously dropped was over-explaining myself to be “liked” or validated.

As an Asian woman, I was taught to soften my voice and over-justify my decisions to avoid conflict or judgment. Letting go of that habit allowed me to lead with more clarity and self-trust.

The habit I intentionally adopted was listening more deeply without immediately reacting. Instead of rushing to fill space or provide answers, I now give others room to process and speak fully. That shift created stronger relationships, better collaboration, and more empowered conversations.

Real leadership isn’t about controlling every outcome—it’s about holding space and showing up with intention.

Leading with Clarity, not Over-Explaining

Harry Morton
Founder, Lower Street

One leadership habit I’ve intentionally adopted is being honest, especially when I don’t have the answers.

If someone comes to me with a problem I can’t immediately solve, I don’t bluff or pretend like I know it all, but simply tell them I’ll find out.

The same goes for mistakes that I will always own, and I expect the same from my teams. You will be amazed at how powerful mistakes can be as a leader.

I’ve also consciously dropped the habit of always trying to provide solutions.

I used to think offering quick fixes showed competence, but it actually discouraged creative thinking and added to my own stress. Now, I just focus on creating space for my team to bring their own ideas. And that has resulted in a more confident, creative team, plus a much healthier dynamic for everyone involved, including me.

Honesty And Humility Empower Great Teams

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Discover the latest HR Tips and trends with our weekly newsletters!