In this guest blog for International HR Day 2026, David R Blackburn, Chartered CCIPD and Managing Director, David R Blackburn Consulting, explores the value of building trust for leaders and organisations looking to bring the best out of their employees.
In an era defined by volatility, technological disruption and evolving workforce expectations, leadership is being fundamentally reshaped. Traditional models based on hierarchy and “command and control” are increasingly misaligned with the realities of modern work and ineffective in environments that demand agility, innovation and psychological safety.
Instead, future-focused leadership is defined by the ability to build trust and empower employees, capabilities that sit at the heart of the CIPD Profession Map - its vision of people professionals as drivers of change and sustainable organisational value.
The CIPD’s evidence consistently shows that these capabilities are not optional. They underpin both organisational performance and the delivery of ‘good work’, defined as work that is fair, meaningful and conducive to wellbeing. But research consistently shows that these are not “soft” leadership traits, but core drivers of performance, engagement and long-term organisational resilience, which is why SHL call them “power skills”, which I think is much more accurate.
Trust is central to effective leadership and is explicitly reflected in key Profession Map behaviours such as ethical practice, valuing people and working inclusively. These behaviours emphasise integrity, fairness and respect, which are core ingredients of trust.
Yet according to Gallup, employee trust in organisational leadership remains low, contributing to persistent employee disengagement. This disengagement has tangible economic consequences: Gallup estimates that low engagement continues to cost the global economy trillions in lost productivity annually. Research from the Institute for Employment Studies also highlights that where trust is low, employees are less likely to speak up, contribute ideas or go beyond the minimum requirements of their roles.
We all recognise that trust is increasingly fragile in modern workplaces shaped by hybrid work and rapid technological adoption. KPMG found that a substantial proportion of employees conceal their use of AI tools due to uncertainty or fear of negative consequences. This behaviour reflects low psychological safety - an essential component of trust.
In 2013 I discovered the work of Stephen M. R. Covey on trust, and I return to it repeatedly when grappling with these sorts of questions and challenges. Covey defines trust as “confidence born of the character and the competence of a person or an organisation”, and his extensive research identified the thirteen behaviours that help people, organisations and societies build high trust relationships.
More than ever, we need to talk truthfully, create transparency, right wrongs, confront reality, clarify expectations, practice accountability and keep commitments. The Profession Map also provides a practical lens for understanding how trust is built through behaviour. In particular:
These behaviours are not abstract ideals. They translate directly into day-to-day leadership actions. For example, transparent communication during periods of change, fair and consistent decision-making, and visible commitment to inclusion.
Critically, trust is reciprocal. To quote from Stephen M. R Covey: “in order to gain trust, you have to give trust”. Leaders who demonstrate trust in their people by avoiding excessive control and enabling autonomy encourage employees to respond with greater accountability and initiative.
If trust is the foundation, empowerment is the mechanism through which future-focused leadership translates intent into outcomes. Empowering leadership involves granting autonomy, encouraging participation in decision-making, and enabling employees to shape their work.
In his most recent work Trust and Inspire Stephen M. R. Covey challenges us to evolve beyond outdated styles of leadership like “command and control” to an approach which shifts the paradigm from managing to leading, from position to influence, from controlling to trusting and from motivation to inspiration.
As Stephen observes: “To be trusted is the most inspiring form of human motivation. People who trust those they lead bring out the absolute best in them – and in all of us…Similarly, people yearn to be inspired. It can feel as vital to our existence as air is to our lungs. In fact, the word inspire comes from the Latin root inspirare, which means to ‘to breathe into.’ So, to inspire someone is to breathe life into them.”
The most effective future-focused leaders recognise that trust and empowerment form a reinforcing cycle:
Future-focused leadership needs us to:
Future-focused leadership is not defined by authority, but by the ability to create environments where people can thrive and contribute fully. The CIPD Profession Map and principles of good work provide a clear framework for achieving this.
The evidence is consistent: organisations that prioritise trust and empowerment are better positioned to engage their workforce, drive innovation and adapt to change. For leaders, the challenge is not simply to endorse these principles, but to embed them in everyday practice.