Research shows that companies with high levels of trust consistently outperform their peers. Deloitte found that trustworthy organisations deliver 2.5 times better results than those with weak trust foundations. Yet according to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, trust in UK businesses is at its lowest point in a decade.
So what separates high-trust, high-performing cultures from those that struggle?
According to John Cockburn-Evans, Co-Founder & CEO of Engaged Intelligence®, in his white paper ‘The Power of Trust in Business. Creating strong working relationships through psychological safety and coaching culture’, it starts and ends with leadership.
Trust is the Strategic Advantage
When trust is strong, information flows freely, collaboration thrives, and innovation happens faster.
When trust breaks down, communication slows, ideas stall, and performance suffers.
Trust creates a competitive advantage because it reduces friction. People spend less time protecting themselves and more time solving problems. As John Cockburn-Evans writes, “Trust is slow to build but can be lost in an instant, and measuring it is one of the most valuable tools many businesses are missing.”
Leadership Sets the Tone
Culture mirrors leadership.
John’s paper highlights that leaders who combine confidence with humility, what Jim Collins calls “Level 5 Leadership”, create the safest and most productive environments.
These leaders are:
- Authentic – they do what they say.
- Consistent – they apply standards fairly.
- Transparent – they communicate openly, even in uncertainty.
Self-awareness and empathy are at the centre of it all. Leaders who understand their impact on others create psychological safety, the foundation on which trust grows.
Coaching Cultures Build Trust
A coaching culture shifts leadership from directing to enabling.
Instead of telling people what to do, coach leaders help others think, experiment, and learn.
The benefits are both human and commercial:
- Higher creativity and innovation.
- Stronger collaboration and engagement.
- Lower attrition and recruitment costs.
John points to companies such as Patagonia and Costco, both thriving by combining fairness, transparency, and purpose with strong financial performance. In these organisations, trust is built into how people are hired, led, and recognised.
Breaking the Barriers
Most trust problems aren’t dramatic, they’re cumulative.
Poor communication, shifting goals, and lack of recognition slowly erode confidence. Over time, teams stop speaking up, leaders lose sight of reality, and results decline.
Rebuilding starts with awareness. Leaders must identify where trust is fragile, protect those who raise concerns, and consistently role-model the behaviours they expect from others. As John writes, “the first stage of any change is awareness.”
Making Trust Measurable
Building trust takes time, but spotting when it begins to break down should happen instantly.
That’s why Engaged Intelligence® created Trust Locus®, the first real-time trust intelligence system. It gives leaders live visibility of where trust is building or weakening across teams, divisions, and regions.
Employees share short, anonymous reflections; leaders see dynamic trust maps that highlight where to act early. It’s the awareness tool every organisation needs to strengthen culture before problems cost talent, performance, or reputation.
Trust is no longer a soft leadership trait. It’s a measurable business advantage, one that can be developed, tracked, and scaled.
The future belongs to leaders who treat trust not as an assumption, but as a strategy.
Read the full white paper Trust and Culture by John Cockburn-Evans, Co-Founder & CEO, Engaged Intelligence®.
Discover Trust Locus® the first real-time trust intelligence for leaders.
Partner with us to help shape the future of organisational trust.