Why Cleverness Should Not Replace Trust

“After all, technology and competencies have never been so cheap and accessible – while trusted relationships, conversely, have never been so hard to build.” This quote—from an HBS case on a company undergoing transformation—sparked deep reflection among the leaders in a session I just led. We live in a world where AI can write code, résumés list impressive credentials, and knowledge is one search away. But none of that replaces the hard, human work of building trust. Trust doesn’t come with a certification. You can’t delegate it. And it doesn’t scale with speed. It’s built in moments we often overlook: — When we truly listen — When we admit we don’t know — When we speak candidly, even when it’s uncomfortable In the session, one leader asked a powerful question: “If trust is this foundational, why don’t we treat it like a priority rather than a byproduct?” That led us to an honest look inward. How often do we pause to ask: Am I making it easier or harder for others to trust me? Another leader put it nicely: “It’s easier than ever to look competent. But being trustworthy? That still takes real work.” And I’d add: That’s real work worth doing. Because when trust is present, everything else—collaboration, innovation, performance—has a fighting chance. Without it, even the best strategy falters. #Leadership #Trust #HumanConnection #CultureMatters #Change #Tranformation #Authenticity

If your people are opening up more to ChatGPT than to you… it’s time to ask why. Not to shame. Not to panic. But to get curious. Because when someone chooses a chatbot over a check-in, that’s not a tech problem. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒂𝒑 This week, two headlines made that crystal clear: 𝐁𝐁𝐂: 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚 𝐀𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜, 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐂𝐍𝐁𝐂: 𝐀 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩-𝐛𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦. At first glance, this is a privacy issue. But there’s a deeper question hiding beneath the surface: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐈 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫? → Because they don’t feel psychologically safe. → Because performance has replaced presence. → Because we’ve mistaken busyness for connection. If people feel more seen by an algorithm than by their manager, we don’t have a tech problem. We have a trust problem. And while AI can be a powerful tool, it was never meant to replace something so fundamentally human: Feeling heard. Feeling understood. Feeling like you matter. So here’s the real challenge for every leader: 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫. Ask how you can help your people feel more connected, more supported, and more seen. Technology is evolving fast. But the need for human connection? That’s timeless. → What’s one conversation you’ve been avoiding that could rebuild trust this week? And if you're worried your prompts may have been shared publicly: Check the CNBC: A how-to guide on preventing Meta from sharing your prompts to Facebook or Instagram in the comments. 👇 #EveryConversationCounts #HumanConnection #EmpathyInLeadership #PrivacyMatters #DigitalTrust #LeadershipPresence #RiazMeghji

You don’t fix culture by changing people. You fix it by looking at what you’re teaching through your own behavior. A few weeks ago, a founder told me: “I need to replace my Head of Product.” Ex-Bain, ex-YC. Brilliant on paper. But in meetings, he stayed quiet when things didn’t make sense. Never asked for help. Never said “I’m not clear on this” or “I don’t know.” Just nodded, took notes… and delivered half-baked work. Until a crisis hit—and he blamed the tech team. 👏🏽 The founder was honest: “At first, I thought he was a bad hire. Then I realized—I built that pattern myself. I led through pressure for years. Where making mistakes wasn’t an option. Without noticing, fear became part of our culture.” And then came the line that stayed with me: “I don’t care if you know Amplitude or have 10 years in top-tier startups. If you can’t say ‘I don’t know’, I don’t want you on the team.” 🚫 We don’t need more geniuses in armor. ❤️ We need people who can lead with an open heart. Because trust isn’t commanded. It’s built— One act of vulnerability at a time.

They were the most talented person in the room. And yet… no one wanted them on the project. Too many “almost done's.” Too many disappearing acts. Too many “yeah, but” excuses. Turns out, it’s not the work that makes people trust you. It’s how you work with others. You can be brilliant, but if teammates are constantly chasing you for updates… If deadlines slip without warning… If you show up only when it’s convenient for you… That brilliance starts to dim in their eyes. Because trust isn’t just about ethics or likability. It’s about reliability. Responsiveness. Follow-through. Here’s how to start rebuilding trust today: ✔ Acknowledge messages—even when you don’t have a full answer yet. ✔ Give a heads-up early if something’s at risk of slipping. ✔ Do what you say you’ll do—or renegotiate before the deadline hits. You don’t need to be the smartest in the room to be the most trusted. You just need to be the one people know they can count on. And in the long run, that wins.