Tell me what I can’t trust you for — and I’ll trust you more.

But what makes us trustworthy as leaders? That’s a question many wrestle with. They see trust as critical, but few have paused to clearly define what makes them trustworthy. Instead, they talk in vague terms about “personal brand” or being “good at building relationships.”

They’re often surprised when we help them break it down — when we uncover and articulate their real trust profile using the six dimensions of TrustLogic®.

Take me as an example in the dimension of Relationship Trust. As a leader, I can’t be trusted to sit through long briefings or deep dives into details. I’m better at giving direction and then moving on. I’m not happy about this limitation, and I try to improve — but that’s just how I’m wired. When I didn’t make that clear, it caused friction because others expected me to engage in the way they do or as “good leaders” should. But I am who I am, and that authenticity builds trust in its own way.

Now, consider a leader strong in Benefit Trust — the trust others place in you to deliver clear, tangible value. One executive we worked with was a senior product manager who wasn’t the most outgoing or charismatic, but was consistently trusted to deliver profitable projects on time. Her trust came from reliability and delivering outcomes, not from charm or close relationships. Because she was transparent about what she could guarantee — solid delivery and results — her team and stakeholders knew exactly what to expect and counted on her.

Trust in leadership isn’t abstract — it’s tangible.

It’s about knowing:

• What makes you trustworthy

• What you want — and don’t want — to be trusted for

• How that fits with your audience’s needs

• How to communicate and act on it

When leaders get this right, they attract support, resources, and loyalty — not just for themselves, but for the people who place their trust in them.

Shape

Don’t Change the Leader, Change the Surrounds

One HR Director put it well: TrustLogic® isn’t about forcing leaders to change who they are. It helps them recognise their unique trust equity — what makes them authentically trustworthy — then decide what they want to build on and what they don’t. This lets leaders align their trust strengths with stakeholder needs, and choose where to focus growth, all without losing themselves.

This works at scale too. One global procurement team we worked with started in the bottom quartile internally. After defining and acting on their trust profile, they executed an 18-month strategy and rose to the top quartile.

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