Build trust through improved communication skills

There was a time when leadership did not need explaining. A firm handshake. Steady eye contact. A voice that carried clarity and conviction. Trust was something people could feel in the room and in the moment.

But leadership has shifted. Flatter hierarchies, busier calendars and a culture of constant communication mean leaders are under pressure to show up fast, speak well and earn trust — without the time or space to truly connect.

“The more we’re going online, the more skills we’re losing, and consequently trust is being diminished,” explains communication expert Dr Louise Mahler, in a recent episode of the INTHEBLACK podcast.

“In what order are you saying things? Do you use gestures? Do you use eye contact? How do you shape your body? These are things that aren’t being considered anymore,” she notes.

The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer shows a growing gap in trust between high-paid leaders and everyday employees, says Mahler. Strengthening trust starts with communication, both in what is said and how people show up.

“We have to bring back smiling and keep the jaw loose,” she says, “and your hands need to be visible, always unclenched.”

The art of gravitas

Mahler points out that 30 per cent of women hear they “need more gravitas” in performance reviews, without really knowing what it means.

“Gravitas is the manner of trust and respect,” Mahler says. In her  book Gravitas, she draws on the timeless wisdom of the Romans and Greeks to explain its five key elements: structure, language, memory, delivery and gestures.

 

"The more we’re going online, the more skills we’re losing, and consequently trust is being diminished."

 

“Can you organise your material in a way others can follow? Do you use language that connects? Can you remember what you want to say and in what order?” she asks.

Of the five elements, Mahler says delivery is the most powerful — “how we use the body, voice and especially gestures.”

“Keeping your palms open and towards the people that you’re speaking to is a hugely important gesture of trust.”

Speak well in public

When tasked with public speaking, one of the key challenges is overcoming the body’s stress response. The unconscious mind thinks public speaking is a threat, and it tries to protect the speaker by freezing and shutting down the body, says Mahler.

Her stage-tested advice is simple but powerful: “Let’s move the body, unclench the fist, unclench the back of the neck, release the jaw, get the tongue out, release the diaphragm and get the air flowing.”

With some knowledge and simple techniques, Maher believes it is possible to overcome “whatever it is that blocks you”.