Trust doesn’t disappear all at once. It erodes quietly when leaders say one thing and do another.
When transparency becomes selective.
When boundaries blur.
When accountability shows up only after things go wrong.
People don’t expect perfection, but they do expect alignment. They want to see that the values on the wall are the same ones guiding the decisions being made.
Integrity used to be a conversation about ethics. Now it’s a conversation that includes both consistency and ethics.
The leaders people follow aren’t the loudest or most polished - they’re the ones whose actions match their words, even when it costs them something.
That consistency builds the kind of culture where people feel safe to speak up, innovate, and stay.
What’s one behavior that instantly builds or breaks your trust in a leader?