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title: "The Trust Report: How Listening Can Abate Grievance"
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What leaders can do to address the global crisis of grievance  

| View in browser •  FEBRUARY 27, 2025 •  Welcome to the Edelman Trust Institute's newsletter — providing information, context, and applications for trust in business and society. If you find this insightful, pass it along to a friend or colleague. And don’t forget to subscribe.   Kirsty Graham  Kirsty Graham is Edelman's U.S. CEO.  "Read the room” is something we’ve all thought – or said out loud – after someone spoke out of turn, brought up a controversial topic, or ignored social cues. “Read the room” is not typically a piece of advice given to leaders who are deciding how best to address business or societal issues, but based on findings from the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, it should be.    We are living in a time of grievance, defined by a belief that government and business make our lives harder and serve narrow interests, and that wealthy people benefit unfairly from the system while regular people struggle. In fact, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer, 61 percent of respondents have a moderate or high sense of grievance. People around the world feel betrayed by leaders and left behind by the societal institutions meant to support and serve the public.    This finding is disheartening, and it’s easy to feel discouraged as an institutional leader – like a CEO or government official – to know how to address people. In fact, it’s tempting to put on blinders, hunker down, and not say anything at all. Why risk triggering someone’s anxiety or anger over an issue, especially when prevalent across all demographics and in most countries. Our research shows that leaders should do the opposite. They should read the room: listen to the circumstances and stories of the aggrieved to uncover what stakeholders want, expect, and need from you to restore their faith in the system.    Read Kirsty's full piece. Percent who worry that leaders lie to them reaches an all time high 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer. Percent who worry each purposely mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations. POP\_EMO. Some people say they worry about many things while others say they have few concerns. We are interested in what you worry about. Specifically, how much do you worry about each of the following? 9-point scale; top 4 box, worry. Attributes asked of half the sample. General population, 26-mkt avg. Year-over-year changes were tested for significance using a t-test set at the 99%+ confidence level. The all-time highs and lows analysis comprised countries with at least five waves of data collection . A Podcast from Edelman and Advertising Week   The TrustMakers is where listeners learn from global experts about what it takes to build trust in today’s society. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.   Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand joins Kirsty Graham, Edelman's U.S. CEO, for a conversation at the 2025 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting about how leaders can allay society's grievances. LISTEN NOW Explore data from the Edelman Trust Barometer    Explore Edelman Trust Barometer data on the general population’s trust in four institutions – Business, Government, Media, and NGOs – or the average of the four (the Trust Index). The data can be explored over time, by country, and/or among a collection of demographics.  EXPLORE THE DASHBOARD Will Business Executives Make the Right Moves in This Moment? VIEW STORY We Are on the Precipice of a Grievance-Based Society VIEW STORY Five Global Trends in Business and Society in 2025 VIEW STORY Amid a global loss of trust, institutions must prove their value, says Edelman’s CEO VIEW STORY Thank you for reading The Trust Report. SUBSCRIBE Visit the Edelman Trust Institute for more trust research and insights.  Edelman, 250 Hudson St., New York, NY 10013, United States Unsubscribe Manage preferences |
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