Colonel’s Culture Compilation Volume 14 (January 2026)
COL. (R) Tony McConnell’s roundup of local and national stories about how companies focus on culture to increase employee engagement, retention and productivity.
People don’t leave organizations—they leave leaders they no longer trust.
Trust isn’t a feel-good idea. It’s the leadership foundation that makes an irresistible workplace culture real. Every decision a leader makes either deposits into or withdraws from the trust account of their people. Over time, those deposits—or withdrawals—determine whether a workplace becomes a place people are proud to belong to or one they are quietly planning to leave.
At its core, trust answers one critical question for employees: “Is it safe to fully invest myself here?”
Leadership research consistently confirms what great leaders already know: when people trust their leaders, they are more engaged, collaborative, creative and resilient. Trust fuels performance, innovation, and commitment—especially during challenging seasons.
Trust also serves as the connective tissue across the Six Key Components of an irresistible workplace:
Leadership: Trust gives purpose to leadership actions and keeps teams aligned when things get tough.
Feedback: Honest, timely feedback only works when employees trust the messenger.
Recognition: Recognition is meaningful when it comes from leaders who earn trust daily.
Growth: People take risks, stretch, and learn when they trust their leaders have their back.
Compensation: Fair and transparent decisions build trust—and undermine it when absent.
Balance: Respecting boundaries and well-being acts as a powerful trust multiplier.
Trust isn’t built through perks, slogans, or policies. It’s built daily through consistent, clear, and honest leadership. Leaders strengthen trust when they act with integrity, explain decisions, admit mistakes, and protect their people. When those behaviors disappear, trust—and employee commitment—declines soon after.
Reflection Question:
Where have my leadership behaviors been making trust deposits—and where might they be creating withdrawals?
For leaders looking to deepen their understanding of trust, Talk to Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace by Minda Harts is an excellent resource. Harts highlights how poor communication and broken promises quietly erode trust—and offers seven practical “trust languages” leaders can use to rebuild authentic workplace relationships.
Below are five articles that underscore the significance of trust in influencing workplace culture:
How To Build Trust At Work: Strategies Experts Say Top Leaders Use Workplace trust is established through consistent, authentic actions, not just good titles or communication. Experts highlight the importance of logic, empathy, and curiosity from leaders, who should listen genuinely and value diverse opinions. If trust feels staged rather than real, employees remain quiet; but leaders who are present and reliable foster open contributions.
Integrating trust into corporate culture The article highlights trust as essential for company culture amid hybrid work, generational shifts, economic challenges, and technological change. It stresses that leaders must actively build trust through openness, fairness, and transparency, and that measuring and prioritizing trust leads to better retention and a stronger workforce.
The Anatomy Of Trust Restoration: How Companies Recover From A Scandal | Crowe Global The article discusses how companies can recover from scandals by acting quickly, communicating openly, accepting responsibility, and making lasting changes. Case studies show that rebuilding trust requires real accountability, strong leadership, and ethical improvements. Trust restoration is an ongoing process needing openness and stakeholder involvement.
If Trust Is So Important, Why Aren’t We Measuring It? While executives agree trust is vital for performance, few organizations measure it directly. Leaders often use proxies like engagement surveys or Net Promoter Scores, assuming trust can't be quantified. Without intentional measurement, companies lack important data to improve leadership credibility and culture.
The leadership hack that drives success: Being trustworthy Trust is crucial for effective leadership, reducing employee turnover and improving performance. Research shows that increasing trust-based behaviors yields organizational benefits. Leaders are recommended to focus on empowerment, fairness, transparency, collaboration, and tracking trust to build stronger teams.