The Surprising Connection Between Candor and Trust
As experienced leaders, we know that strong organizations are built on trust.
But how do you foster trust in today’s hybrid and fragmented workplace?
It starts with candor and is bolstered by trust, a precious commodity that even the best leader can lose over time or in an instant.
But candor is more than just clear, direct communication delivered in a caring way. It’s the foundation for fostering the type of trust that shapes a culture of continuous improvement.
Trust, on the other hand, enables candor — when people trust their leaders, they’re more willing to speak up and share what they see and think.
Let’s examine this surprising connection more closely and consider how to maximize its power to grow your organization.
Trust Is Not Passive; It Requires Effort
Trust is often viewed as a skill that forms naturally over time, and some leaders assume trust is already in place simply because teams work together.
Not so fast.
Trust isn’t passive.
Trust must be actively built and reinforced.
Trust creates a safe environment where employees feel empowered to speak their minds without fear of repercussion. It fosters faster decision-making, more creative problem-solving, and a culture of accountability.
PWC, in a 2024 Trust in Business Survey, shares that where there’s a strong feeling of trust, over half of employees (52%) say they put more effort into their work, which can have an immediate impact on everyday operations.
If trust erodes, however, the risk is not that people leave—they stay and work half-heartedly.
Can your organization afford a performance drop-off like this?
If not, keep reading.
The Most Underestimated Leadership Skill
Listening is one of the most underestimated skills in leadership and is essential to building trust. Despite our best intentions, sometimes we confuse “hearing” with listening.
Listening isn’t about waiting for your turn to talk.
Listening involves understanding the emotions, motivations, and concerns behind the words.
But there’s more to listening than just catching words; it’s about catching what’s behind the words. Once caught, trust deepens, and performance improves.
When people feel listened to — and not just heard — they’re more likely to trust their leaders and be candid in return.
And remember, without trust, candor can’t thrive.
Listening For Leaders: Fast Track to Connection
Listening has gotten a bad rap as a “soft” skill that doesn’t warrant attention. But it’s more nuanced than it seems. Often regarded as a passive act, listening is more than gathering information. When done right, it’s a shortcut to connection.
Simon Sinek reminds us here that there are no such things as soft skills. Effective listening involves engaging with what’s being shared, asking thoughtful questions, and reflecting on your understanding. When you do this with candor—being transparent about your thoughts, intentions, and limitations—you create a space where you can uncover insights that might otherwise go unnoticed, leading to better decision-making and stronger relationships.
Always keep in mind that effective listening is about making others feel heard. Leaders who listen with intent accelerate trust because they make room to invest in the relationship.
While you won’t find a course on listening in many educational settings, this essential skill for leaders can be learned and mastered.
Sure, listening involves more effort than you may have realized. But can you imagine the impact within your organization if your people felt genuinely heard?
Trust would skyrocket!
And once unlocked, this trifecta of candor, listening, and trust becomes your strategic advantage to empowering your people and powering up your leadership.
Vulnerability: A Powerful Leadership Advantage
Demonstrating vulnerability is a power move. When used intentionally, vulnerability is anything but weak.
Being vulnerable doesn’t mean oversharing or airing your fears and doubts.
Being vulnerable means creating an environment where it’s safe to experiment and learn from mistakes.
It means showing up without pretense or perfection, an uncomfortable challenge for most leaders since we’re conditioned to project confidence and certainty at all times.
Kouzes and Posner (2023)¹ asserted that effective leaders ‘model the way’ for trust building by creating an environment where vulnerability and authenticity are valued.
Here’s the bottom line: Leaders who demonstrate vulnerability have an unusual ability and willingness to raise issues in real time and are seen as more relatable and trustworthy.
Human-Centered Leadership
Candor, listening, and trust aren’t separate leadership traits—they’re a powerful loop that fuels one another.
Candor requires trust. When candid, you convey that your feedback comes from wanting to improve, not tear down.
Listening builds trust because it shows your team that you value their input and are interested in viewing the work from their perspective.
Vulnerability strengthens relationships by removing the fear of judgment, which, in turn, leads to deeper trust. And trust creates the psychological safety that allows for more candor.
The human-centered leaders that get this right don’t just survive; they thrive. They move faster, innovate more, and create cultures where people want to stay and do their best work.
And here’s the best part: this loop doesn’t just benefit your company — it benefits you as a leader.
By embracing candor, listening, trust, and vulnerability, you’ll build a team that is aligned, motivated, and capable of tackling the biggest challenges head-on.
Human-centered leadership is relational in nature. It empowers people to achieve at high levels by developing trusting and collaborative relationships that are reflected in the organizational culture.
When people feel heard, they feel valued. And when they feel valued, they give their best.
The path forward is clear — by integrating candor, listening, trust, and vulnerability into your leadership, you won’t just lead a company; you’ll inspire a movement.
Listen deeply, lead strongly, and watch trust take root in ways you never thought possible.
This is leadership at its best: clear, direct, and connected.
Want to dig deeper into human-centered leadership? Here and here are resources I recommend.
Need support and guidance to help you navigate the modern challenges of effective leaders? Collaborate with me for executive coaching and leadership development. I have worked with hundreds of high-level, C-suite executives just like you, and have helped them lead with confidence.
¹ Kouzes, James M., and Barry Z. Posner. The Leadership Challenge: How To Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. 7th ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2023. https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Challenge-Extraordinary-Things-Organizations-dp-1119736129/dp/1119736129/ref=dp_ob_title_bk?asin=1119736129&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1
² Photo by Alex Hu on Unsplash
