What Can CEOs Do To Bridge the “Crisis Of Trust”?

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In this Quick Take episode, find out what CEOs can do to bridge the “Crisis of Trust” described in the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer Report.

Like us, you may have seen an increase in distrust in companies across industries. Maybe you’ve even experienced it as a leader, a customer, or as a partner. In fact, there’s data to back up your experience. If you’re a regular listener, you know that we follow the yearly Edelman Trust Barometer. The January 2026 report had a top line that described “…70% of people are either unwilling or hesitant to trust someone whose values, facts, problem-solving approaches, or cultural background differ from theirs.”

While the report focuses on a global trend, we’ve seen that the crisis of trust can especially show up when you’re leading your company for bold business innovation and transformational growth. Under conditions of uncertainty and complexity, it can be natural for individuals and groups to distrust each other.

So what can you do about it? We share what we’ve learned about bridging trust gaps with employees, partners, customers, and other stakeholders.

First, we discuss the importance of looking for any “hidden trust gaps” that may exist in your company. For example, we’ve seen that they’re often hidden in extended clashes around priorities. Other times they can be hidden by complaints about “those people” (also known as “difficult people).

We then discuss why building bridges of trust requires the entire top leadership team (CEOs, C-Suite Executives, and Corporate Directors), and what’s at the heart of fostering an environment that can reimagine relationships and build mutual accountability for success.

Finally, we share immediate, useful ideas for positively reinforcing new behaviors to bridge trust gaps and move from “those people” to “us.”

At a time when people are increasingly hesitant to trust those who see the world differently, we can discover hidden opportunities to build the trust that increases collaboration and commitment throughout the company and across stakeholders that’s necessary to bring new value to life.

There’s always more to the story. The bigger the trust gap, the more different the story can look. | Pam Harper

This week on Growth Igniters® Radio:

• Our take on what the growing crisis of trust can mean for leadership teams making consequential decisions under uncertainty and complexity
• Why bridging trust gaps hinges on the entire top leadership team: CEOs, C-Suite, and the Board.
• The importance of positively reinforcing behaviors that build bridges of trust throughout the company and across stakeholder relationships

Resources for This Episode

• Read the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer Global Report:”Trust amid Insularity”
• Find out more about Pam’s keynote “Break Orbit: Achieving Long-Term Growth in a Short-Term World”

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