Building trust through leadership

A message from Wake Forest’s Professional Development Center team. The PDC welcomes its newest member, Paige Edwards-Werhan, Assistant Director of Learning & Development. Read on to hear her thought leadership on an important topic: trust.

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In every workplace—especially at Wake Forest, where we are motivated by Pro Humanitate and the pursuit of genuine human flourishing—trust is the currency that fuels high-performing teams and relationships. Trust isn’t simply granted by titles or tenure; it’s built purposefully, consistently, and with intention.

Trust isn’t just “nice to have.” It is foundational. A campus department without trust becomes siloed. A team without trust second-guesses decisions. A supervisor without trust struggles to connect and inspire. Many underestimate trust as a soft skill, but research tells a different story. As leadership experts Zenger and Folkman note, “Leaders can be driven, agile, strategic, and experts in their field, but without trust, it won’t count for much. The data shows that trust is the one leadership behavior that can positively or negatively affect everything else you do.” 

In fact, their research shows that trust is the strongest predictor of employee satisfaction with leadership and it directly impacts engagement, collaboration, and performance. In short, trust is a strategic advantage.

So how do leaders build it? Through behaviors that signal credibility, care, and consistency. Here are three proven strategies:

1. Be consistent and follow through. Reliability builds trust. Meeting deadlines, keeping promises, and showing up prepared—even in small ways—reinforces that others can count on you.

2. Communicate transparently. Honest, timely communication builds clarity and respect. You don’t need all the answers, just a willingness to share what you know and explain the “why” behind decisions.

3. Empower others. Trust grows when it’s given. Delegating responsibility and inviting input shows confidence in your team’s abilities and encourages them to rise to the occasion.

Trust isn’t built in a day: it’s built every day. The upcoming workshop, “Building Trust Through Leadership,” hosted by the Professional Development Center, is an essential opportunity for all staff and faculty to develop their ability to build trust, whether you lead formally or simply want to foster stronger, more trusting relationships across campus.

Let’s build a workplace where trust isn’t the exception—it’s the expectation.

Ready to grow your leadership skills?

• Register for “Building Trust Through Leadership” on July 30.
• Try this self-paced, digital course on Workday Learning: Building Trust
• Visit The PDC online.
• Follow Human Resources and the PDC on Instagram @wfutalent.

Questions? Contact our professional staff:

Bill Gentry, Director of the PDC and Learning & Development

Paige Edwards-Werhan, Assistant Director, Learning & DevelopmentMissy Campbell, Manager, Learning & Development