Why trust matters more than expertise in the workplace now

It wasn't that long ago that expertise was enough to set you apart; as in, if you had the qualifications, the experience and the knowledge, people naturally saw you as credible. You built your reputation by becoming the person who knew the answers… but we're not working in that world anymore.

Today, AI can write polished LinkedIn posts, create compelling thought leadership, draft reports and even produce resumes that make almost anyone sound impressive. Information is available in seconds, content is everywhere and, unfortunately, so is misinformation. It's becoming increasingly difficult to know who or what to believe.

So if everyone can sound like an expert, what actually makes someone worth listening to?

When information is abundant and credibility is harder to assess, people simply choose the person they believe, not necessarily who is the smartest. 

What does that mean for comms?

Trust has become one of the biggest competitive advantages any leader, communicator or professional can have. Trust takes time, though, as it’s built every time you follow through on a commitment, communicate honestly, admit when you don't have all the answers and make decisions that align with your values.

Over time, people begin to understand not just what you know, but who you are,  and that predictability matters because humans are wired to look for certainty. Particularly during periods of uncertainty, people need to understand how you make decisions, what you stand for and what they can expect from you, because they’re then far more likely to have confidence in your leadership.

It's one of the reasons trust plays such an important role during organisational change.

When leaders announce a new strategy, introduce new technology or ask employees to work differently, people aren't deciding at that moment whether they trust the message. That decision has often been forming for months, or even years, through every interaction they've had with that leader or organisation.

How have things changed?

We're already seeing this shift play out across workplaces.

Recruitment processes are placing greater emphasis on behavioural interviews, scenario-based assessments and practical demonstrations because organisations want to understand how candidates think, not just how polished their application appears.

Universities are increasing presentations, oral assessments and practical exams because written work alone no longer provides enough confidence that someone genuinely understands the material.

The common thread being that people are looking for evidence they can trust, which often has very little to do with perfectly crafted words. Instead, it comes from judgement, consistency, integrity and the ability to explain why you've made a particular decision - which are all qualities technology can't replicate.

Where does trust come from?

A misconception is that trust comes from projecting certainty, when in reality, some of the most trusted leaders are those who are comfortable acknowledging uncertainty. They explain the thinking behind their decisions, share what they know, what they don't yet know and how they'll continue making decisions as new information becomes available.

That level of transparency creates confidence because people can see the process, even if they can't predict the outcome. The same principle applies to your professional reputation, whereby personal branding is often misunderstood as self-promotion, but at its core it's simply about making your expertise, values and thinking visible. It's the reputation people build about you when you're not in the room.

One of the strongest indicators that you've built trust isn't when people come to you for advice in your area of expertise. It's when they seek your opinion on completely unrelated topics. At that point, they're no longer trusting your technical knowledge alone, they're trusting your judgement.

What’s next?

As communicators, we spend a lot of time helping organisations craft messages, launch initiatives and navigate change, but perhaps one of the most important things we can do is help leaders consistently build trust through every interaction they have with their teams. While AI is making expertise more accessible than ever, it's also making trust more valuable than ever.