Hi Reader! It’s Daria here.

For years, business has been seen as the most trusted institution. More than government, media or even NGOs.

But that trust is starting to slip now.

The latest Edelman Trust Barometer shows a steady decline in how people feel about their employers. This year showed the biggest drop since 2018. Especially among those who feel left out by the system. People with grievances trust CEOs and companies far less than those who feel things are fair. And the gap is widening.

This might not seem urgent. But it is.

Because right now, organizations are going through major changes. AI is one of the biggest. 49% of CEOs expect GenAI to increase profitability within the next 12 months. But here’s the problem: the people expected to make that transformation work aren’t convinced. They don’t trust AI. They’re not sure what it means for their future. And they don’t always trust the people in charge of making those calls.

“

If you want to move forward, you have to rebuild trust.

That doesn’t mean launching another internal comms campaign or sending out a nice email. It means taking action that shows your team you’re serious.

Here’s what the data tells us:

86% of people say leaders should ensure good-paying jobs.
84% say leaders must invest in reskilling their teams.
And that includes people who feel let down by the system.

It’s a clear message: Pay people well. And help them grow.

Let’s talk about that second part.

Skill 1️⃣: Encourage learning that sticks

Learning today can’t be a once-a-year event. Your team needs to stay curious, experiment with new tools, and build comfort with change.

How to support it:

Create safe spaces to try AI tools without pressure.
Share short, useful learning moments during the week.
Pair people with different skill levels so they can learn from each other.

This kind of mindset makes teams more ready—and less anxious—about what’s ahead.

Skill 2️⃣: Help people work better with AI, not against it

AI can support decision-making, but it doesn’t replace human insight. Your team needs to learn how to ask better questions, challenge outputs, and think critically.

How to support it:

Teach people not to take AI at face value.
Use AI for analysis, but let humans make the calls.
Encourage open discussion around AI-generated ideas.

Skill 3️⃣: Keep human connection at the center

As more tasks shift to machines, emotional intelligence becomes more valuable. It helps your team communicate, manage conflict, and build trust—all things AI can’t do.

How to support it:

Encourage real conversations, not just reports.
Train teams to notice what's missing in digital communication.
Use stories and personal experience to bring meaning to data.

❗ What to remember:

Trust doesn’t disappear overnight. It fades when people feel overlooked, underpaid, or unprepared for change. And it comes back when you step up, invest in your people, and help them grow in meaningful ways.

That’s what I focused on in my chapter of The AI Revolution book.

The chapter is about building the skills that keep your team grounded, thoughtful, and resilient in the face of rapid change.

Because if we want AI to enhance our organizations, not hollow them out, we need to lead with intention.

See you next Thursday.

P.S. AI is reshaping how teams think, collaborate, and make decisions. But as we gain speed and efficiency, we risk losing something even more valuable: our human judgment, creativity, and deep engagement. To help you evaluate where your team stands, I’ve created a free download:

Get your team assessment

It’s a simple yet powerful checklist that helps you spot whether AI is boosting or blunting your team’s critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making. It’s part of the broader work I contributed to in The AI Revolution, a global collaborative project co-authored by 34 experts.