At the beginning of the year, we predicted that employees, business partners, and consumers will come to place greater emphasis on trust in 2024. When fear and uncertainty grow, trust becomes more valued and important—and in shorter supply. So, to counter the trend of rising mistrust, business and workplace leaders will need to prove they are trustworthy.
For many months, we’ve been hearing leaders across organizations and industries express their own fears and uncertainties: Everything is moving faster and faster. The unknowns keep piling up. Reports forecast more instability in the future. They are having more and more difficulty knowing what to do.
To navigate fear and uncertainty, leaders don’t only have to prove their trustworthiness to other people. They also have to prove—and remember—they can trust themselves.
This challenge is compounded because it’s difficult to know who and what to trust in uncertain times. Leaders then push themselves to shoulder more and more of the tough decisions, delegate less, and feel less supported. At the same time, they may be questioning their own leadership and career.
Effective and sustainable leadership requires fostering trusted relationships, having trusted sources of information, and being able to trust yourself. Trust is the bridge between the unknown and known. It’s an antidote to fear. Leaders need to build trust in themselves that they do know what to do, even when the answer or path forward isn’t clear yet.
When leaders trust themselves, they are also more capable of being authentic with their teams, business partners, and others. Acting authentically, with confidence, will increase other people’s trust in you.
Knowing the essential role that trust plays right now for leaders everywhere, Challenge Factory has expanded our Trusted Advisor Leadership Counsel. Three new powerhouse leadership and workforce experts have joined Challenge Factory as Trusted Advisors, bringing a combined 100+ years of experience to our clients.
The “Trust” in “Trusted Advisors” is more than just a job title. It’s a commitment and acknowledgment of how important trust is when you don’t know what the answer is, how to move forward, or where the world of work is going.
We’ve also written an entire magazine issue about what to do when you don’t know. The latest issue of Workforce Architecture launches in March. This is a source of information and insight you can have trust in.
It’s an exciting time at Challenge Factory. Our reach and impact are expanding into new Canadian and U.S. markets. For the first time, we have American boots on the ground, taking our thought leadership and unique approaches to the Future of Work below the 49th parallel.
Trust is at the centre of this growth. Read more from Challenge Factory about trust, leadership, and what to do when no one knows:
Meet Challenge Factory’s new Trusted Advisors
Bob Cavnar
“Today, my focus is helping others maximize their highest potential for themselves and their companies while working to leave behind a better world for my children and grandchildren.” – Bob Cavnar
Over his 40-plus-year career, Bob has matured from an enthusiastic young oilfield worker into a seasoned veteran with decades of C-suite experience. His time in business and non-profit leadership has given him a unique perspective and helped him hone a keen understanding of complex problems, building teams, and coaching individuals.
Elaine Cruise Smith
“What matters to me is fostering authenticity in the workplace and cultivating a culture of safety and trust where people, ideas, and business can flourish harmoniously.” – Elaine Cruise Smith
With 25+ years of senior Human Resources leadership and a reputation for developing talent and creating engaged and energized teams, Elaine has twice been named to HRD Magazine’s Hot List, the who’s who of Canada’s HR Executives working to impact business outcomes and achieve overall excellence in all aspects of HR.
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn.
Sheila Rider
“I believe companies are more successful when people within them know what their best work looks like and are enabled to do it.” – Sheila Rider
Sheila has over 30 years of experience leading local, national, and global HR teams. She has successfully led complex projects impacting thousands of people and enabling hundreds more to build and action their own plans successfully. She thrives doing both because they involve getting things done through people. Enabling career development through impact and achievement is her passion.