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Trust isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the hidden currency driving every workplace. When it breaks, the fallout is bigger than missed deadlines or disengaged employees—it fractures culture.

In this episode of My Friend in HR, we rewind the clock to humanity’s earliest tribes and connect ancient leadership lessons to today’s boardrooms, Zoom calls, and corporate cultures. Drawing from Simon Sinek’s insights, Edelman’s Trust Barometer, Harvard Business Review research, and real stories of leaders and employees betrayed by broken promises, we unpack the human side of why trust is collapsing in the modern workplace—and how to rebuild it.

You’ll hear:

• Why ancient tribes chose leaders based on trust, not strength—and what that means for today’s executives.
• The silent betrayals that fracture workplace culture (missed recognition, layoffs handled poorly, and leaders who go quiet when employees need them most).
• How layoffs send psychological shockwaves that destroy productivity and loyalty.
• The science of trust and stress: why oxytocin builds collaboration and cortisol kills it.
• Why perks and bonuses don’t inspire when they’re not matched with purpose.
• What both leaders and employees must do to build a high-trust culture.

This is not another “10 leadership tips” conversation. This is a hard look at the broken social contract between employees and organizations, and how trust—not just money—decides whether your culture thrives or collapses.

👉 If you’re a leader, this will challenge how you think about psychological safety, employee loyalty, and the true cost of layoffs.
👉 If you’re an employee, this will give you language to articulate why culture feels “off” when trust is missing—and what role you play in fixing it.

Because when leaders stop protecting their people, perks stop feeling earned. And when employees stop showing up with reliability and honesty, teams collapse from within.

Listen in, reflect, and let’s rebuild workplaces where trust is more than a slogan—it’s the foundation.

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Linkedin: Njsane Courtney
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