Trust in the Workplace: Losing It, Rebuilding It, and Moving Forward

Trust is a cornerstone of effective collaboration, particularly in academic libraries where relationships underpin the institution’s ability to support teaching, learning, and research. Walter Gmelch, a renowned scholar on academic leadership, emphasizes that trust is not merely an abstract ideal—it’s an essential component of relational leadership and organizational success. Christopher Cox, in Compassionate Leadership: An Essential Approach Post-COVID, highlights how balancing empathy with accountability strengthens relationships and creates resilient workplace cultures. Together, these perspectives offer valuable guidance for navigating trust challenges.

Trust is fragile—painstakingly built over time but capable of crumbling in an instant. Once broken, regaining it is a complex and often incomplete process. By integrating the principles of compassionate and relational leadership, this post explores the realities of trust in the academic library workplace: the high cost of losing it, the challenges of rebuilding it, and actionable recommendations for moving forward.

The High Cost of Lost Trust

Walter Gmelch’s work underscores how trust breakdowns ripple through organizations, creating what he terms “relational erosion.” Similarly, Christopher Cox stresses that leaders must not only empathize with their teams but also take deliberate actions to address challenges. When trust erodes in academic libraries, the consequences are profound:

• Disengagement: Employees may withdraw emotionally and reduce their effort, disengaging from the library’s mission.
• Resistance to Change: Skepticism toward leadership hinders collaboration and innovation.
• Turnover: Talented employees leave for more supportive environments, causing disruptions and knowledge loss.

Relational erosion occurs when employees feel excluded, undervalued, or disconnected, weakening their emotional and professional attachment. This can lead to decreased morale, reduced engagement, and an increased likelihood of turnover. In academic libraries, this often manifests as resistance to new initiatives, lack of collaboration, or difficulty retaining talent.

Why Rebuilding Trust Is So Challenging

Trust rests on two critical pillars: competence (the ability to perform effectively) and character (the alignment of words and actions). When either is compromised, rebuilding trust demands intentional and consistent action, but the process is rarely straightforward.

Leaders face significant hurdles, including:

• Power Imbalances: Employees may fear retaliation or judgment, inhibiting open dialogue.
• Lingering Doubts: Even after corrective actions, doubts about a leader’s reliability can persist.
• Emotional Fallout: Feelings of disappointment or betrayal create barriers to reconciliation.

Christopher Cox highlights the need for balancing empathy and accountability. Empathy allows leaders to validate employees’ emotions, fostering psychological safety, while accountability ensures action is taken to address underlying issues and restore credibility. This balance is critical to rebuilding trust and maintaining workplace integrity.

Compassionate and Relational Leadership in Action

Cox’s formula of empathy plus action equals compassion complements Gmelch’s relational leadership framework. Together, they emphasize that rebuilding trust requires not just understanding but also deliberate and sustained action. Leaders must connect with employees on a human level while addressing systemic issues that contribute to mistrust.

• Transparency: Leaders must openly acknowledge breakdowns, clearly articulate what went wrong, and take responsibility for their role. Transparency fosters psychological safety and encourages honest communication.
• Behavioral Integrity: Leaders must align their actions with their words, consistently fulfilling promises to demonstrate reliability.
• Vulnerability and Courage: Acknowledging mistakes and tackling difficult conversations with fairness and empathy fosters trust.
• Mediation: When necessary, neutral third parties can facilitate constructive dialogue to resolve conflicts and identify actionable solutions.
• Equity and Inclusion: Addressing systemic inequities signals that employees’ unique contributions are valued, creating a culture of fairness and belonging.

By combining empathy with deliberate action, compassionate and relational leadership not only repairs trust but also strengthens organizational resilience. Leaders can transform moments of conflict into opportunities for growth, fostering an inclusive and collaborative workplace.

Building a Culture of Trust

While repairing individual relationships is critical, fostering a broader culture of trust requires embedding the principles of relational and compassionate leadership into the organization. Trust at the cultural level ensures that every employee feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute.

• Empowering Teams: Involve employees in decision-making processes to give them a meaningful voice. This fosters a sense of ownership and purpose.
• Fostering Psychological Safety: Encourage honest communication by creating an environment where employees feel safe sharing ideas, concerns, and disagreements.
• Modeling Integrity: Leaders must consistently align their actions with their words, demonstrating accountability and fairness.
• Celebrating Success and Learning from Failures: Recognize achievements to validate employees’ efforts, and frame mistakes as opportunities for growth.
• Prioritizing Equity and Inclusion: Actively dismantle systemic barriers and ensure all voices are heard and valued.

Building a culture of trust is an ongoing process that requires intentionality and consistency. By embedding these principles into leadership practices, academic libraries can cultivate an environment where employees feel supported, inspired, and invested in the organization’s success.

Final Thoughts

Walter Gmelch’s relational leadership framework and Christopher Cox’s compassionate leadership principles remind us that trust is not just an abstract ideal—it is an actionable practice. Rebuilding trust is challenging, but by combining empathy with accountability, leaders can create resilient, inclusive workplace cultures. For academic librarians, these insights offer a roadmap for navigating trust challenges. By fostering open communication, demonstrating consistency, and addressing inequities, leaders can inspire their teams to achieve shared goals, even in times of uncertainty.

Further Reading

• Cox, Christopher. Compassionate Leadership: An Essential Approach Post-COVID. Journal of Library Administration, May/June 2023.
• Gmelch, Walter. Building Academic Leadership Capacity: A Guide to Best Practices. 2015.
• Hougaard, Rasmus, and Jacqueline Carter. Compassionate Leadership: How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way. Harvard Business Review Press, 2022.
• Turning West. Behaviors That Erode or Restore Trust.
• Stephens, Michael. Wholehearted Librarianship: Finding Hope, Inspiration, and Balance. American Library Association, 2019.

How do you approach trust-building in your library? Share your strategies and reflections in the comments.