It Starts and Ends with Trust

You and I are living in a leadership crisis. Can you feel it? The headlines point to scandals, breakdowns, and failed leaders. Culture in corporate America is being tested. But the root problem isn’t just mismanagement—it’s a trust gap. One that keeps widening unless we act.

Consider this: only 21% of American workers strongly agree they trust their organization’s leadership. That’s not just a stat—it’s a warning signal. Trust isn’t a luxury. It’s the foundation. And without it, everything else crumbles.

In every corner of leadership, there’s one force that determines the health of teams, the culture of companies, and the momentum of movements: trust. Cory Scheer’s Closing the Trust Gap is one of the most important contributions to the conversation on trust in years. It’s timely, actionable, and filled with sharp insight.

Why Trust Is the Game-Changer

This crisis isn’t limited to boardrooms or company cultures—it’s part of a broader cultural challenge. Public trust in institutions, particularly political leadership, continues to erode. Regardless of party or position, many Americans perceive that leaders prioritize power over principle, image over integrity. While views vary, the impact is the same: skepticism, disengagement, and polarization.

The solution isn’t simple, but one thing is clear—rebuilding trust must be a priority. Whether in politics or business, leadership without trust is just noise.

Scheer identifies what many of us already sense: the trust crisis is real. He calls it an epidemic of distrust—and he’s right. When trust is low, engagement suffers, culture erodes, and good people quietly disengage or walk away.

Trust isn’t just a soft virtue—it’s a strategic asset. As Scheer writes, "Trust is the fuel for the engine of positive relationships and productive teams." Without it, even the best strategies collapse.

As George MacDonald, a 19th-century thought-leader, once said, "To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved." Trust multiplies influence. It powers relationships, drives clarity, and unlocks momentum.

If we want to lead—and lead well—we need trust. If we want companies that thrive and stay alive—we need trust. Trust matters more than ever.

Billy Joel captured it years ago when he sang, "It's a matter of trust. You can't go the distance with too much resistance." Leadership is no different. Without trust, the road is short and the weight is heavy.

Key Highlights from the Book

There are some amazing key points from Cory's book. Here are a few:

• Trust must be built before value and loyalty can be created.

• One of the greatest threats to trust is the “tyranny of urgency”—where short-term pressure crowds out long-term relationship building.

• Every organization needs a shared language and strategy for trust.

• The trust gap isn’t abstract—it shows up in disengagement, turnover, cynicism, and weak advocacy.

• Competence, problem-solving, and care for others are the building blocks of trust.

• Trust is earned "one conversation at a time." Every moment counts.

Trust Broken: Individuals

History is filled with examples of broken trust—at times devastatingly so. Consider the following leaders who lost their way:

• Harvey Weinstein — Once a dominant Hollywood producer, became a global symbol of abuse and exploitation.

• Lance Armstrong — Admitted to doping after years of denial, costing him titles and public trust.

• Bill Hybels — Founding pastor of Willow Creek Church, resigned amid misconduct allegations that shocked the evangelical world.

• Ravi Zacharias — His legacy was marred by abuse and denial.

• Elizabeth Holmes — Founder of Theranos, convicted for misleading investors and patients.

• Andrew Cuomo — Former New York Governor, resigned following investigations into workplace misconduct.

• Sam Bankman-Fried — Founder of FTX, lost massive public trust after the collapse of his cryptocurrency empire.

• Michael Tait — Respected artist and leader in the Christian music world, whose recent public actions raised trust questions among fans and followers.

Trust Broken: Organizations

Here are several organizations that also lost trust:

• Enron — Collapsed under massive accounting fraud.

• Boeing — Lost public confidence after the 737 MAX crashes and safety oversight concerns.

• Wells Fargo — Created millions of unauthorized accounts, eroding consumer and regulatory trust.

• Facebook/Meta — Accused of privacy violations, misinformation spread, and lack of transparency.

• Volkswagen — Admitted to cheating emissions tests in the “Dieselgate” scandal, severely damaging brand credibility..

The Seven Deadly Sins of Distrust (as outlined by Scheer):

How do these falls happen?

1. Misalignment of People, Place, and Purpose

2. Unfit Hiring

3. Leaders Blind to Issues

4. Embracing the Status Quo

5. Ignoring Feedback

6. Identity Wrapped in Titles

7. Terminal Toxicity

Each of these undermines trust from the inside out. But they also provide leaders with clear cues on where to focus.

Trust Rebuilt

Trust can be lost in a moment—but it can also be restored through time, humility, and action.

Here are a few examples where trust was rebuilt:

• King David — After moral failure, returned to humility and purpose, restoring leadership through repentance and renewal.

• Robert Downey Jr. — Overcame addiction and legal troubles to become one of Hollywood’s most respected and bankable actors.

• Tiger Woods — Reclaimed public admiration by winning the 2019 Masters after a decade marked by scandal and injury.

• Martha Stewart — Rebuilt her personal brand and media empire following her prison sentence for insider trading.

• Tylenol (Johnson & Johnson) — Faced a public safety crisis and responded with transparency and packaging reform.

• Apple Inc. — Transformed from near-bankruptcy in the late 1990s to one of the world’s most admired and trusted brands.

• Chipotle — Recovered from food safety issues by improving standards and rebuilding consumer trust.

• IBM — Transitioned from hardware to trusted global service and consulting brand through reinvention and long-term vision.

Building a Trust Proposition

Scheer introduces a powerful concept: your Value Proposition tells people what something is worth. Your Trust Proposition tells people what’s true—and how you live it out. For example, a CEO might commit to a Trust Proposition by publicly owning a product failure and outlining clear steps to fix it, proving transparency and accountability.

Imagine every leader adopting a Trust Proposition, committed to:

• Listening more than speaking

• Acting with transparency

• Owning their mistakes

• Prioritizing people over optics

A Challenge for Leaders

• Who do you need to rebuild trust with?

• What conversations have you avoided that are overdue?

• Where has your organization let culture erode because distrust went unchallenged?

• How would your team rate your trustworthiness on a scale of 1 to 10?

Final Word

Trust is a currency we can’t afford to lose—and one we’re all responsible for protecting. As Scheer shows, we close the trust gap not with slogans, but with clarity, courage, and consistent action.

And for those who want to go further, companion reading from David Horsager—The Trust Edge and Why Trust Matters More Than Ever—offers deep reinforcement. Their insights don’t just complement each other—they reinforce a shared call to action for anyone who leads. Together, Scheer and Horsager represent some of the most respected work on trust today. Their insights are a wake-up call and a toolkit for a world in desperate need of trust.

When trust leads, people follow.
When trust lives, culture thrives.
When trust is restored, momentum returns.
And when the journey is complete, trust is what remains.

Because it starts—and ends—with trust.

If you are a leader, I highly recommend you read Cory Scheer’s book. You’ll be glad you did.

You can learn more about Corey and his Trust Gap resources at trustcentricconsulting.com,