Trust in Turbulence™

A Field Guide to Trust for Leaders for Others

As a leader, you carry more influence than you may realize. SparkEffect’s 2025 Trust Research shows that employees place the highest trust in their direct manager, more than in executives or the organization as a whole. But that trust is also the most fragile, and it is tested most during times of disruption. 

How you explain decisions, how you respond under pressure, and how you show care in everyday moments are the signals your team use to decide whether they can trust your organization.

We created this guide to provide you with practical tools that you can use right away. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being consistent. A few small, repeatable actions can build the clarity, fairness, and care your team needs to stay engaged and confident, regardless of the changes that come.

What’s Inside this Trust Playbook

✅ The Manager Trust Gap
Discover why employees trust their direct manager most—but that trust drops 4.1 points during disruption

✅ Everyday Practices to Build Trust
Five simple, repeatable actions you can implement daily.

✅ The First 48 Hours Playbook
Your step-by-step guide for the critical window when disruption strikes.

✅ The CFC Check Model 
A practical pre-conversation tool to ground yourself before any difficult message.

✅ Coaching Questions for Disruption
Access your coaching power and move from having all the answers to asking questions.