At senior levels, approval is tempting—and dangerous. Great leaders anchor themselves in impact, not popularity. True trust is not won by pleasing everyone, but by leading with honesty, courage, and integrity. What got you here, being respected and well-liked, won’t get you there if it keeps you from making hard calls.

Trust doesn’t show up when things go wrong.It shows up in how fast—or slow—everything moves. At senior levels, trust is strategic capital. It determines how quickly decisions land, how openly people speak, and how much energy is wasted managing tension instead of execution. Many leaders assume trust is present because no one is complaining. Silence, […]