Commentary
While there are many uses of the word “trust,” John Blakey’s article references the noun trust as “the belief that somebody/something is good, sincere, honest, et cetera and will not try to harm or trick you.” His assertions are worth considering as we enter a new year, deal with various changes and seek to separate truths in myriad messages from industry pundits versus the growing population of ultracrepidarians.
Trust in leadership will never be fully captured in a spreadsheet, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be measured meaningfully, writes Blakey. Asserting trust is a trackable variable, he says. Leadership trust is a measurable, manageable business asset, and he advocates for leaders to start treating it like any other strategic variable: visible, monitored, acted upon and benchmarked.
Source: Harvard Business Review, November 4, 2025. Link. Blakely shares four key steps C-suite leaders and boards need to follow to measure trust effectively: 1) Decide on a measurement tool; 2) monitor; 3) actively manage; and 4) benchmark.
Measuring executive trust requires an intentional approach, but the rewards are undeniable: a workplace culture where employees feel valued, stakeholders feel confident, and leaders are empowered to drive organizational success.” – John Blakely, DBA
Image: Link.