The Trust Equation: How New Leaders Earn or Erode Credibility in the First 90 Days
A Gen Z employee recently commented on one of our culture audits:
“When I first started working for my company, I trusted my new boss… until I watched how they treated employees.”
No yelling. No drama. Just micro-moments of dismissal, ignoring input, and skipping follow-up. That leader said they believed in people-first leadership, but their actions said, “I only value the people in the room when my boss is watching.”
By month three, that employee was mentally checked out. They became what I call a ‘Paycheck Employee’. (Someone who does nothing more than what their paycheck requires.) The damage was done before that leader even realized they were being evaluated. That employee thought they were joining a
Destination Workplace™. They soon realized they had joined a
Resignation Workplace.
Believe it or not, this happens more than you think, and it’s affecting workplace retention. According to the
2025 National Workplace Trends Study,
57% of employees say distrust in leadership would drive them to quit.
Whether you're a new manager or stepping into a new team, here's the reality:
Month 1, your team listens to what you say.
After that, they start watching what you do.
If those two don’t match, trust starts to decay.
👉 That’s why understanding the Trust Equation is so important, especially as a new leader or as someone who has inherited a new team.
The Trust Equation Framework:
TRUST = (Integrity + Consistency) x Visibility
Each part is built, or broken, faster than you think.
1. Integrity:
Your team notices if you take credit for their work or if you speak about them behind closed doors differently than you do in meetings. This will make them lose respect for you, and
52% of workers claim they would take a pay cut to work for a leader they actually respect.
2. Consistency:
Are your values visible in how you handle pressure? One of the top retention drivers is when managers ensure employees get credit for their work. When recognition is spotty or reactive, trust fractures.
3. Visibility:
Don’t disappear behind a title. Host monthly “Ask Me Anything” sessions. Walk the floor. Teams can’t trust a leader they never see.
Action Steps for the First 90 Days
✅
Lead with observation, not domination.
Watch how the team operates before implementing sweeping changes.
✅
Audit your alignment.
Ask: Do my actions reflect what I said on Day One?
✅
Hold fast on fairness.
In the study, perceived unfairness led to 57% of workers losing trust.
✅
Run the “consistency check.”
Do your words about culture match how you lead under pressure?
This Week’s Challenge:
Ask your team to anonymously answer this question: “Is there anything I’ve said that doesn’t align with what you’ve seen?” Then… listen. Don’t defend. Simply correct poor behaviors in real time. That’s how you build trust.
🔗 Want to lead a Destination Workplace™? Start where trust begins: your next interaction.
https://destinationworkplace.com
🎤 Book Betsy to speak at your next leadership retreat or HR summit:
https://betsyallenmanning.com
About Betsy:
Featured on FOX, CBS, NBC, and ABC, Betsy Allen-Manning is a high-energy leadership keynote speaker and workplace culture strategist who helps organizations develop stronger leaders, accelerate results, and build cultures where people stay, grow, and thrive. Through her national workplace research and The DNA Keynote Series, she delivers data-backed, high-interaction presentations powered by results-driven frameworks. Betsy is also the founder of Destination Workplace™, an award-winning leadership training company in Dallas, trusted by some of the world’s most elite brands nationwide.
