Why CEOs are losing trust when it matters most

PEOPLE are trusting leaders less, and artificial intelligence (AI) is making it harder to tell what is real.

The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer found that 68 per cent of people believe business leaders purposely mislead them. Now, people expect dishonesty instead of just being sceptical. For chief executive officers, this lack of trust is a serious risk. If people think leaders are dishonest, it is much harder to attract talent and manage crises.

​We can see the effects of lost trust in real-life examples. In aerospace, Boeing’s problems show how a gap between what leaders say and what actually happens can damage years of goodwill. In the tech industry, trust has plummeted as CEOs announce layoffs and changes to AI using automated messages that care more about efficiency than people. These examples show that many leaders focus on how things look instead of building real trust.

The faces of the trust crisis

Generative AI has created a new problem. The more perfect a message looks, the less real it feels. Technology lets leaders send out polished, error-free messages to many people, but this perfection can seem fake.

In a world full of digital content, flawless statements often make people question if they are real. When a CEO’s words sound too processed or computer-generated, the human connection disappears and, without a real, honest voice, people are less likely to trust what is being said.

Public discussion on leadership trust is nearly evenly divided. According to an analysis from audience intelligence and social listening platform Pulsar, just over half (52.2 per cent) of online discourse emphasise a crisis across all sectors; 47.8 per cent focus on workplace solutions, which often involve automation that is transparent. This split indicates a significant change is imminent.

Nearly one in 10 conversations centres on leadership failures that provoke outrage, such as major corporate scandals involving financial misconduct or mismanagement of major entertainment franchises. Social influencers amplify criticism, highlighting a “profit first, people last” mindset that makes brands seem disconnected from their audiences.

Mistaking style for substance

After examining over 1,000 CEO LinkedIn posts, we found that shallow and superficial communication simply does not work.

Many leaders try to seem more relatable by adopting a colloquial style – using emojis, casual language and exclamation points – but this does not present real vulnerability. In fact, such an approach leads to 23 per cent less engagement. People want CEOs to act like capable decision-makers, not social media influencers.

The data also points to a clear solution, which is focusing on real content, not just style. Engagement for posts that shared insider context – such as offering behind-the-scenes details or explaining tough decisions in boardroom contexts – jumped by 110.5 per cent.

When leaders offered narrative substance and told real stories from their own experience instead of using corporate buzzwords, engagement increased by 60 per cent. Comments and shares also jumped 14 to 17 times above average. Honest engagement helps rebuild trust, and shows that treating people as equals can close the trust gap.

The path forward

The first big takeaway is that being authentic helps manage risk. More than a marketing goal, it should be seen as a way of long-term security. Leaders who speak honestly and show their human side build up a “trust reservoir”. When a crisis hits, people are more likely to support leaders they feel they know, instead of distant companies.

Second, leaders should avoid sharing generic, polished content. Since AI can easily create standard thought leadership, these messages now seem lazy and unoriginal. Leaders who share real human experiences, lessons from mistakes and insights unique to their industry stand out. These are things AI cannot copy.

Finally, leaders need to focus on what they say – not just how they say it. When a brand goes through a reputation crisis, showcasing how the brand is working on regaining that trust from audiences actually helps. Leaders play a huge role in making this happen. The best approach is to be honest, build credibility, and use a real human voice instead of trying to make every message perfect.

CEOs have a choice between chasing perfection in the corporate setting and risk losing trust, or choosing real engagement and openness. With deepfakes and algorithm-driven content everywhere, true human connection cannot be copied. This makes being authentic the biggest advantage.

Both writers are from Isentia. Prashant Saxena is vice-president of revenue and insights for South-east Asia, and Nikita Gundala is the Asia-Pacific marketing lead.