Why trust feels harder right now
Trust has always been central to professional relationships, but it is under unusual pressure. We are operating in an environment where confident, polished content can be produced in seconds. AI has made it easier than ever to sound authoritative, even when judgement, context, or experience are missing.
As a result, many of the shortcuts we once relied on to assess trust no longer work. Familiar cues – fluency, volume, certainty – are no longer reliable indicators of credibility. Instead, trust is being evaluated through behaviour over time, not presentation.
This shift matters because trust is not a value statement or a personal brand claim. It is something people observe, test, and adjust continuously.
Trust is contextual, not fixed
One of the most misunderstood aspects of trust is the assumption that it is either present or absent. In reality, trust is contextual. We trust different people, sources, and environments in different ways, depending on intent, consistency, and lived experience.
This applies at work as much as it does elsewhere. Trust influences whose judgement is relied on, whose voice carries weight, and whose ideas gain traction. It also affects how quickly decisions are made and how much friction exists in day-to-day interactions.
When trust is high, work flows more easily. When it is low, control increases and confidence drains quietly away.
Trust inside organisations runs both ways
We often talk about whether people trust leaders. The less visible question is how much trust leaders extend to others.
When leaders do not trust their teams, systems and processes multiply. Approvals slow progress. People become cautious. Initiative drops. Silence becomes the safest option.
When leaders do trust their teams, something different happens. People step up. Ownership grows. Judgement improves. Accountability becomes clearer rather than weaker.
This shift is often described as a move from Command & Control to Trust & Inspire. It is not about being passive or hands-off. It is about recognising that expertise is distributed and that trust accelerates performance rather than undermining it.
AI raises the stakes for judgement
AI is not inherently untrustworthy. Used well, it can support research, improve efficiency, and surface insights. The problem arises when confidence is mistaken for credibility.
In an AI-influenced environment, judgement becomes more visible. What leaders choose to automate, delegate, share, or attach their names to sends signals, whether intended or not. These signals shape how others assess reliability and intent.
Trust erodes quickly when people sense that responsibility has been outsourced without oversight, or that influence is being exercised without care.
LinkedIn as a trust environment
LinkedIn is not just a content platform. It is a public trust environment.
People make ongoing assessments based on:
- Consistency between words and actions
- The quality of judgement in what is shared or amplified
- How others are treated, publicly and privately
- Whether expertise is demonstrated over time rather than claimed
LinkedIn does not create trust dynamics. It reveals them. The same behaviours that build or erode trust inside organisations are visible in how people show up online.
This is why visibility alone is not the goal. Visibility without trust creates exposure, not credibility.
Listening matters more than reacting
One of the quiet ways trust is being eroded is through speed. The expectation to respond immediately, comment quickly, or react publicly often overrides good judgement.
Listening is a trust behaviour. Pausing, reflecting, and seeking intent beneath words preserves relationships and prevents unnecessary damage. In contrast, rapid reaction, especially in public spaces, often escalates situations that could have been resolved with care.
In a world where technology moves faster than human processing, restraint becomes a signal of credibility.
When trust breaks, repair is not guaranteed
Trust can be damaged unintentionally. Context is missed. Timing is wrong. Lived experience is unknown. Not all trust breaches are dramatic or malicious.
Rebuilding trust takes time, space, and often support beyond the two people involved. In some cases, alignment cannot be restored because priorities, circumstances, or expectations have shifted. This is not always a failure. It is sometimes a reflection of change.
What matters is recognising that trust cannot be forced back into place. It must be re-earned, or consciously released.
Why this matters now
In a landscape where confidence is easy to generate and content is abundant, trust is becoming more valuable, not less.
Trust is not created through slogans, values statements, or polished profiles. It is built in small, observable moments. Through consistency. Through judgement. Through how influence is exercised when no one is watching.
That is what makes trust powerful. And that is why, when AI gets it wrong, trust still wins.