Trust Is a Three-Legged Stool—Why It Holds (or Collapses) Under Pressure
How leaders can cultivate competence, character, and care in an age of disinformation
WHAT: The Trust Crisis We Can’t Scroll Past
We live in a world where 34 gigabytes of daily data (University of California-San Diego) flood our minds—equivalent to reading War and Peace five times over. Fake news spreads six times faster than truth (MIT). Amid this noise, trust has become the rarest currency.
Yet in my work coaching executives and guiding organizations through upheaval and transformation, I’ve noticed a paradox: The more we chase "proof," the more we crave trust. Here’s what’s showing up in my own experience this year:
Case 1: A CEO transition exposes polarized teams clinging to competing narratives. Rebuilding trust isn’t about "right vs. wrong"—it’s about repairing broken connections.
Case 2 : A high-potential leader promoted from local to leading his function across six countries loses faith in her bosses’ alignment. Strategy execution stalls because trust’s absence breeds paralysis.
Case 3 : A risk/compliance expert pleads: “I need action, not applause or appreciation." Without visible follow-through, trust erodes like coastline in a storm.
Increasingly, the patterns that arise are so palpable. Trust isn’t destroyed in grand betrayals—it leaks daily through small cracks in competence, character, or care.
SO WHAT: The Three-Legged Stool (And Why Most Leaders Are Wobbling)
Patrick Sweeney’s 3-C Model of Trust frames it perfectly.
Like a stool, trust collapses if one leg fails.
1. Competence (“Can they do it?")
Case 2’s regional leader : His bosses’ conflicting directives undermine perceived competence.
Data: 82% of employees distrust leaders who "wing it" (Gallup).
2. Character (“Will they do it right?")
Case 1’s polarized team: They don’t question the CEO’s skills—they doubt his fairness.
Reality: 67% of workers judge leaders more on integrity than results (Edelman Trust Barometer).
3. Care (“Do they give a damn?")
Case 3’s compliance officer: She needs actions proving her exec team prioritizes ESG beyond lip service.
Irony: 74% of leaders believe they show care; only 34% of employees agree (Harvard Business Review).
The Stakes: Edelman’s 2023 Trust Barometer reveals that government trust is at its historic lows (63% distrust leaders’ ethics). But this isn’t just political—it’s organizational. Like fractals, teams mimic societal patterns.
NOW WHAT: Strengthening Your Stool—Three Actionable Shifts
Trust isn’t "built." It’s practiced. This is where we might start
1. Audit Your "Legs" (A practice of Mindful Leadership)
Competence: Ask your team this- “Where do you need more clarity or support from me?" (Then listen, really listen to understand)
Character: Pause before decisions : “Would I defend this choice on a front-page headline?"
Care: Swap speeches for symbols: A tech CEO I know hosts monthly "Ask Me Anything" over lunch he and his team cook themselves.
2. Regulate the Emotional Climate
Name tensions early: “I sense hesitation—what’s your concern?" (Case 1’s CEO avoided this.)
Reward courage: Thank dissenters publicly. Trust grows when safety does.
3. Scale Trust Through Systems
Processes to Pleas: Case 3’s compliance officer needs structured exec check-ins - not just goodwill.
Transparency as ritual: A financial client now shares draft strategies with junior staff for input pre-launch.
Yes, now more than ever, I realize that “Trust Is a Practice, Not a Prize.” In my mindful movement practice of Shibashi, we learn this - that balance comes from adjusting weight, not standing still. Trust works the same way.
Your Move: Pick one leg of your stool to reinforce this coming week. Mindfully notice and observe: Where does your team’s trust in you waver? And have the courage to ask them.
- Susan Grace Rivera
Posted: June 21, 2025
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