The Leadership Trust Collapse is Here

When Employees Trust the C-Suite More Than Their Boss, Something’s Gone Very Wrong

I’ve been saying for the past few years that we’re living in the age of distrust. And this week, the data revealed just how deep into it we are.

DDI released their 2025 Global Leadership Forecast, which provided some quantitative data to validate what I’ve been watching unfold in conversations, coaching sessions, and leadership rooms across the board. It’s showing just how seriously trust is collapsing. For the first time I can recall, trust in direct managers has fallen below trust in senior executives. Yes, that’s right. People trust the C-suite more than their boss. That’s not a trend; that’s a crisis.

It’s also worth noting that this wasn’t some narrow or biased study. It was broad, global, and one of the most diverse leadership data sets I’ve seen in leadership research. That matters a lot. It matters because it tells a bigger story. This isn’t a story limited to a single audience. It’s a story we all need to hear and do something about.

It’s also a story I think you’ll find familiar. I encounter it every day in meetings. People everywhere, at all levels, feel like they’re constantly watching their six. They’re told “no more cuts,” and then they suddenly watch teammates disappear without warning, or are the ones shown the door. Everyone is leading through nonstop change while being given less time, less support, and fewer tools. And somehow, they’re also being asked to hold it all together.

We’re in a pressure cooker like never before, so when I read the report, I didn’t just analyze it; I felt it. Per usual, I made my usual off-the-cuff videos if you like that. As a heads up, it’s a bit spicy. I had just finished a keynote with 400 people, so my energy was even higher than usual. I had a lot to say to executives, managers, and employees alike.

This article is my more reflective take. It’s what’s resulted from some time sitting, thinking, and processing it all.

So, with that, let’s get to it.

“Trying to assign blame for this collapse is like arguing over who left the door open while the house burns down.”

The situation we’re in isn’t about one person, one policy, or one bad year. This is the long-term result of leadership slowly being hollowed out. It’s always an issue, but in recent years, more than ever, managers have been loaded up, worn down, and left without the time or support to do the very thing we say we expect of them. As a result, teams have learned to expect inconsistency, misdirection, or silence from above. And now, we’re watching the outcome unfold in real time. Trust in the people closest to the work has dropped below trust in the people furthest from it. That’s not a glitch. That’s a sign that something deeper is broken.

When that happens, our instinct is to find a villain. It must be the executives who pushed too hard. Perhaps it’s the HR teams who didn’t do enough. The middle managers gave up. When that doesn’t work, we look outside. It must be politics, generational divides, the economy, or technology. Unfortunately, this approach leaves us with a list of scapegoats, which accomplishes nothing. What we need right now is shared ownership. Even if you don’t subscribe to the idea that all have sinned, the data doesn’t leave much room for finger-pointing; everyone is in this. We all have contributed to breaking it, so we all need to play a part in repairing what’s been lost.

Blame doesn’t build anything. Responsibility does.

“When leaders break, it doesn’t just hurt performance. It hurts people, families, and futures.”

We’ve become accustomed to talking about burnout like a productivity issue. It shows up as missed deadlines, slower output, and attrition. However, that misses something bigger. When leaders break, the impact extends far beyond the office. Destruction hits the leader’s families, their health, and their sense of worth. But, it doesn’t stop there. Those exact same problems get passed downstream. It infects their teams, their peers, and even their leaders. Stressed leaders don’t just carry the weight; they transfer it. Everyone suffers, and it’s not because they’re weak. It’s because humans absorb stress from the people around them. That burden ripples out in every direction.

What’s most dangerous is that it doesn’t stop when the quarter ends or when that leader finally burns up in the atmosphere. We can’t just “wait this one out.” The impact of a leader lingers long after they’re gone. It travels to the next team they’re given and stays with the one they left. It infects the new leader who takes over the former team. The ripple continues into the partner who gets the last five percent of someone’s energy and the kids who grow up watching leadership modeled through exhaustion and detachment. Over time, it shapes cultures, relationships, and decisions for generations.

If we don’t do something to interrupt this mess, we’re building a world where dysfunction becomes normalized, and the damage we’re seeing will become our legacy.

“If you’re waiting for someone else to fix it, you’re part of the problem.”

I mentioned earlier that our default response is to blame others, so we can convince ourselves it’s not our fault. While those thoughts feel justified, they let us off the hook far too easily. When you start thinking this way, you’re not avoiding the problem; you’ve become part of it, and that’s not okay. The tendency to try to skirt accountability by passing the buck isn’t new. It’s as old as the garden. Go back to the earliest chapters of Genesis, and you’ll find that humanity’s descent into destruction was sparked by mistakes but fueled by finger-pointing instead of ownership. That same pattern plays out in our workplaces today. And, every time we give in to the idea that “it’s someone else’s job,” we’re reinforcing the problems we say we want fixed.

Now, here’s the thing. I understand that frustrations may be warranted. I have no doubts leadership really is out of touch. Statistically, there’s a good chance your manager isn’t listening. However, that doesn’t excuse you from your responsibility. Everyone has a sphere of influence, and everyone has a choice in how they show up, speak up, or care for the people around them. I’ve already made the case that one person can’t fix things. That means you have to make a conscious decision to help make things better. Do what’s right. Love mercy. Walk humbly. That’s not just a Bible verse; it’s the only kind of leadership that actually works when the system feels broken. So no, this isn’t all your fault, but it is your move.

Waiting for someone else to do what you know is right is a decision to play an active role in keeping the cycle going.

“We may need major change, but don’t underestimate what a simple, human moment can do.”

There’s no shortage of real work to do. In some organizations, the culture needs a complete teardown. I’d also say I haven’t worked with anyone who wouldn’t benefit from a greater focus on leadership development, setting clearer priorities, and building and maintaining systems that actually support the people doing the work. We absolutely need those big-picture fixes. However, we can’t ignore the quieter things that rebuild trust in the day-to-day. You don’t need a bigger budget or a strategic initiative to let your teams know you see them. That takes presence. It means choosing to pause, asking deeper questions, and owning your mistakes when they happen. Those are the moments people remember because they’re honest.

And yes, those kinds of actions take time to work, but change always takes time. The choice you hold is whether you’re moving toward it or waiting for someone else to start. I promise if you begin today by showing up differently, leading differently, and caring differently, you’re already closer to the kind of culture we all want to see. We have to remember that trust isn’t rebuilt in big, dramatic gestures. It’s rebuilt through the thousand small decisions made consistently over time. One conversation. One check-in. One act of patience when it would’ve been easier to move on. Those things add up. And they create the kind of shift your strategy decks can’t.

Culture doesn’t change when systems shift; it changes when people do.

Concluding Thoughts

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading and reflecting with me. I don’t share this reflection lightly and appreciate the magnitude of this challenge. Some of us are carrying it. Others are passing it on. Most are doing a little of both. I also recognize it feels especially crazy right now. But remember, while the headlines and data may finally be catching up, none of this is new. The erosion we’re seeing didn’t start yesterday. It took time to rot, so it will take time to rebuild. However, if we’re not careful, it will keep going forever.

As an encouragement, remember that you don’t need permission to change how you show up. You don’t need a new title or a new initiative to lead with care, to own your influence, or to be the kind of person someone else can actually trust.

What I’m calling for, you can start right now. And yes, the work is big. But it doesn’t start big. It starts with what’s in front of you today.

So, pause before you send your next email or show up to your next meeting. Keep this top of mind as you prepare to take action on the situation you’ve been putting off. Let it inform the tone you set. And, choose gentle persistence when it’d be easier to shut down.

That’s how we rebuild trust. Quietly, consistently, and in places no one sees until they do.

Please, for everyone’s sake and the sake of future generations, don’t just read this and agree. Move. Show up like it matters, because it does.

With that, I’ll see you on the other side.