Description

What if everything you know about building trust is wrong? In this episode of Executive Connect, Dr. Darryl Stickel, one of the world’s leading experts on trust and author of Building Trust: Exceptional Leadership in an Uncertain World, reveals how trust can transform teams, accelerate change, and rescue broken cultures.

From consulting at McKinsey to advising global leaders, Darryl explains why most organizations are failing at trust, how to rebuild it using his proven 10 lever framework, and why trust, not strategy, is the ultimate driver of performance. You’ll learn how to reduce uncertainty, manage vulnerability, and lead through disruption with authenticity and clarity.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• The real psychology of trust and why it breaks
  
• How to build trust that survives conflict and change
  
• Why most trust exercises fail and what works instead
  
• How transparency and vulnerability create influence
  
• A simple daily practice to strengthen your relationships and culture
  

If you’re leading a team through change, uncertainty, or growth, this conversation will show you how to make trust your greatest competitive advantage.

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 Why Trust Issues Are Breaking Teams
02:00 Darryl’s Story From Hockey to Harvard and McKinsey
06:00 What Drives His Life’s Work on Trust
08:00 Why Most Leaders Misunderstand Trust
09:30 The Definition of Trust and the Two Core Questions
10:30 How Risk, Uncertainty, and Vulnerability Intersect
12:00 Myths About Gender and Risk Tolerance
13:30 Trust as a Stabilizer During Change
15:00 Why Uncertainty Destroys Engagement
16:00 Culture, Change, and the Human Side of Business
18:00 How to Make Trust a Daily Behavior
19:30 The Three Levers Benevolence, Integrity, and Ability
21:00 How to Demonstrate Benevolence as a Leader
23:00 A Script You Can Use to Build Trust Tomorrow
24:30 Leadership Through Accountability and Care
25:30 Authenticity vs. Honesty The Real Difference
27:00 Trust and Self Awareness in Modern Leadership
29:00 How to Start Building Trust Intentionally
31:00 Darryl’s Final Framework for Transformational Leadership

🔗 Connect With Darryl Stickel

Website → https://www.trustunlimited.com
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrylstickel
Book → Building Trust: Exceptional Leadership in an Uncertain World

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