Ed Newell Blog

Should the old adage ‘Trust me, I’m a doctor’ be replaced by ‘Trust me, I’m a nurse’? Research suggests so. The annual IPSOS Veracity Index reports consistently that nurses are the professionals most trusted by the public to tell the truth - scoring 94% in 2024. Close behind are engineers at 90%, with doctors third at 88%. In comparison, the public trust rating of clergy is currently 63% and police is 62%. At the bottom of the table are journalists (27%), advertising executives (16%), government ministers (15%), with politicians in general scoring a lowly 11%.¹ 

These statistics are worth reflecting on, as trust is widely regarded as foundational for successful organisations and a vital aspect of human capital. Anyone in a leadership role will understand the importance of trust – both with the public and colleagues. Leaders who are trusted are far better placed to gain the confidence and support of those they lead, and therefore the most likely to flourish. On the flip side, where there’s a lack of trust so too there’s likely to be a lack of confidence and support, making effective leadership far more difficult or, in the worst case, impossible. 

At the recent Windsor Leadership workshop, ‘When Trust in Leadership is Rocked’, a key point raised was how those who lead in our digital age do so with unprecedented levels of exposure and scrutiny. As well as being anxiety-inducing, the ever-present possibility of coming under the gaze of social and other media increases the risk of trust being undermined. Exposing untrustworthy leaders is one thing – and a good thing – but unwittingly and inaccurately giving the impression of being untrustworthy is quite another, and can undo all the good things that trust can bring. The workshop therefore rightly highlighted the importance of leaders being mindful of the close relationship between trust and communication, and of communicating well and in ways that build trust.  

The literature on effective communication includes plenty of advice on how to do so, and the key points are as follows: 

• Building trust is fundamentally about building good relationships, so communicating in ways that are empathetic and build rapport can be highly effective. Leaders should therefore think carefully about how to find common ground and common language when communicating. This commonality must be genuine though, as sincerity helps builds trust while insincerity has the opposite effect. 
• Building trust takes time, so regular communication is important. Regular communication also shows commitment to building relationships. How regular means finding the sweet spot that avoids both under- and over-communication, and this very much depends on who the leader is communicating with. Some may require daily or weekly contact, others may not. What’s important is to work out what’s appropriate – and then stick to it.  
• Clear, consistent and accurate communication builds trust. Mixed and inconsistent messaging has the opposite effect, as does over-promising in communications, as they sow the seeds of doubt about the reliability of the information being communicated and, of course, of the communicators. 
• To shape a culture, trust must be widespread across an organisation. A leader can help spread trust by communicating as widely as possible with stakeholders. 
• Transparent communications have a positive effect on trust. The more openly and honestly that information can be shared and discussed the better, as it makes the recipients feel trusted. Conversely, trust erodes when people think things are being hidden from them or they can’t discuss them. 
• Listening is a vital part of communication. A person is more likely to be trusted by someone who feels they are being listened to and understood. Developing the skills of ‘active listening’ is particularly helpful: giving people your full attention, demonstrating empathy, using open-ended questions, and summarizing discussions to check mutually agreed understanding. 
• Body language is also important. Something as simple as maintaining good eye contact or mirroring body position can help build trust.  

These points help explain why nursing scores so highly for public trust. To do their work effectively, nurses require a high degree of trust from both patients and doctors. The ability to communicate with medical professionals and people at their most vulnerable in a way that builds trust is therefore critical.  

If trust is prioritised in a similar way to nursing in other settings, there will be a strong incentive for leaders to communicate this and hone their communication skills appropriately.  

A take-home message from the workshop is that digital technology has both provided the tools to do so in new and effective ways, but at the same time increased the risks associated with getting it wrong – hence the importance of getting it right. Applying the points about effective communication mentioned above is one way for leaders to go about this, particularly given the opportunity it presents to communicate widely and regularly. Some things to consider are: 

• How do I come across to others when I am communicating through digital media rather than in person? 
• How often should I communicate across my organisation, and is this level of communication sustainable? 
• How can I ensure that digital communication is two-way and that those who communicate with me know they are being listened to? 

The topic of trust is regularly discussed at our workshops, webinars and fireside chats. If you would like to join one of these upcoming events, more details can be found here. 

¹ https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/ipsos-veracity-index-2024