Key Highlights:
- Why trust is one of the most powerful drivers of retention, wellbeing, and performance
- What the “middle management trust gap” means for organizations
- Practical ways leaders can rebuild trust once it’s been lost
- The role of clear expectations and leadership development in building stronger teams
- The story of Dr. Meese’s best boss — and why believing in people matters most
When was the last time you thought about trust as the real foundation of your leadership?
In this episode of The Best Boss Podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Katherine Meese, a nationally recognized expert in organizational behavior and co-author of The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust. Dr. Meese has spent years studying what keeps people in organizations, and what helps keep them well, and one factor kept rising above the rest: trust.
Why Trust Matters More Than We Realize
Most of us think about trust in terms of personal integrity. Am I honest? Do I own my mistakes? Do I show up consistently? And while those things matter, Dr. Meese’s research shows that trust in leadership is far more complex and far more influential than many of us realize.
She refers to it as the middle management trust gap. Even if senior leaders are competent and trustworthy, employees often judge them by how their own direct managers behave. If communication is lacking, if collaboration across departments breaks down, or if expectations are unclear, employees start to blame the people at the top. That ripple effect can erode trust throughout the entire organization.
Can Trust Be Rebuilt?
Here’s the good news: trust isn’t gone forever once it’s lost. Dr. Meese reminds us that apologizing and forgiving are powerful leadership competencies. Leaders who can admit mistakes, own them, and move forward often gain even more credibility.
She also highlights two practical steps that sometimes get overlooked:
- Set crystal-clear expectations. Don’t assume professionalism is obvious; spell it out.
- Develop leaders for competence. Many people are promoted for their technical skills, not because they’ve been trained to lead. Investing in their development pays off in trust.
A Story of the “Best Boss”
Like every guest on the show, I asked Dr. Meese to share the story of her best boss. She immediately thought of the late Chuck Stokes, a seasoned healthcare executive who had an incredible way of believing in people and bringing out their best.
As she described him, I couldn’t help but notice how closely this mirrors the #1 trait we hear again and again in our Best Boss interviews: the best bosses believe in you, sometimes before you even believe in yourself.
Why This Conversation Matters
Trust is not a soft skill. It’s a measurable driver of retention, performance, and well-being. And in a world where turnover is high and employees are looking for more meaningful work, trust is a leadership competency no one can afford to ignore.
If you’re leading a team, whether in healthcare or any other industry, Dr. Meese’s insights will make you stop and think about the small, daily choices that either build or erode trust.
👉 Listen to the full conversation on The Best Boss Podcast and let us know: what role has trust played in your career journey?
📖 You can also dive deeper into these ideas by reading Dr. Katherine Meese’s book, The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust: https://a.co/d/beFPsCW.
What made your boss the BEST BOSS? Share your one word or one sentence here: https://dianescottinc.com/one/
