We all say trust matters, but how many of us actually go first? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Michelle Reina about what it really means to build trust, especially when it’s been broken. Michelle challenges a common leadership trap: waiting for others to “prove” they can be trusted. Instead, she argues, trust begins with you — your willingness to take the first step, extend openness, and model the behavior you want to see.

This episode explores what makes trust so fragile in today’s workplaces, and how leaders can build it back stronger. You’ll hear about the three dimensions of trust (Character, Communication, and Capability), why trust is both behavioral and emotional, and how to rebuild it after it’s been lost. Michelle shares real tools and frameworks from her upcoming book The Art of Trust Building, including:

• The Individual Trust Scale, a self-assessment that reveals how your actions build or compromise trust.

• How leaders can measure and strengthen trust to drive engagement and performance.

• The seven steps to healing trust after a breakdown.

• Why vulnerability and courage are inseparable from leadership.

This is a conversation for every leader who’s ever struggled to rebuild a relationship, repair a team, or restore faith after a tough season. Trust isn’t a one-time achievement — it’s a daily practice. And when leaders model it first, the results ripple through entire cultures.

Dr. Michelle Reina is a researcher, author, and co-founder of Reina Trust Building®, where she and her husband, Dr. Dennis Reina, have spent more than 35 years studying the behavioral science of trust. Their work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fortune, The New York Times, CNN, and CNBC. Their forthcoming book, The Art of Trust Building, releases January 2026, with pre-orders available November 2025.

Learn more at reinatrustbuilding.com.