The Equation Leaders Need in 2026
“Trust is like the air we breathe – when it’s present, nobody notices; when it’s absent, everybody does.” – Warren Buffett
Back in my arts degree days, I loved discovering big philosophical words – like ontology – the study of what’s real. They made me feel intellectual and sophisticated. Like I should be sipping coffee and pondering existential questions in a Parisian cafe.
A few decades on, ontology isn’t abstract anymore. In this AI era, we question reality daily – from news we scroll to emails that might be phishing scams.
And with this year’s Edelman Trust Barometer indicating that trust in employers dropped 5 points globally from 2025 – now at 60% – amid rising perceptions of incompetence and ethical lapses, workplaces face an even bigger trust challenge.
Here are some ideas to help leaders build it back:
You can count on me
David Maister, Charles Green and Robert Galford developed the concept of a Trust Equation.
It goes like this:
Trust = Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy ÷ Self-Orientation
Credibility is what people believe about your capability. It’s built through your expertise, how clearly you communicate, and the confidence others have in your judgment.
Reliability is about being consistent and transparent in what you say and do: showing up to meetings you say you will attend, following through on commitments, and not being afraid to call out bad news.
All these actions send messages. And these messages accumulate over time.
Playing it safe
People need to feel safe to do their best work.
Amy Edmondson popularised the term psychological safety: the belief you won’t be punished or humiliated for speaking up, asking questions, or making mistakes.
In the Trust Equation, this is Intimacy.
Can people open up to you without fear? If they make a mistake, will it be held against them? Are individuals’ unique skills and talents valued and utilised?
Some ideas for creating psychological safety include:
- Own your stuff-ups and be open about what you’ve learned. One leader I worked with began sharing a small mistake each week, normalising that it’s okay not to be perfect
- Listen first: try asking, “How would you approach this?” instead of jumping in with advice.
- Create space for quieter voices. Pause and invite others to add their thoughts.
- Be honest and transparent. Avoid spin, half-truths or deflection. If you don’t know or can’t share something, say so. Trust is built in these moments, especially during difficult periods.
- Be clear on how decisions are made. Share the criteria and reasoning where you can. Silence creates doubt and erodes trust
- Help people build support networks so they feel more confident speaking up and asking for help.
- Hold regular 1:1s where people feel safe to raise concerns early, not just give updates.
It’s not about you
One of the quickest ways to build trust is to serve others rather than be self-oriented.
Jensen Huang, a former toilet cleaner and now CEO of NVIDIA, nails it. He shares on a video,
“No task is beneath me…if you send me something and want my input…and I can be of service to you {by reviewing it} and sharing how I reasoned through it, I’ve made a contribution to you.”
When you shift interactions from “What’s in it for me?” to “How can I be of service to you?”, trust flourishes.
And if you’re not sure you can be of service? Ask where you can help. Offer what you can.
Being of service means staying curious and following through.
The cost of trust
Low trust kills morale, productivity, and original thinking.
Google’s Project Aristotle [1] found 82% less innovation without psychological safety.
McKinsey shows high-trust teams are 3.3 x more efficient [2] and 5.1x better at results, while leaders with challengers make 87% better decisions [3]. Moreover, BCG found diverse talent stays 4x longer in high-trust environments.[4]
Trust isn’t just a ‘feel-good’, nice-to-have feeling. It’s a “pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset.” [5]
Trust is built drop by drop, but can be lost by the bucketful.
So do the maths on your own Trust Equation. You might be surprised by how much the micro-moments of what you say and do every day compound into tangible gains.
