A practical guide to building trust: Be more human, give away power SECTIONS Share iStock In eras when distrust is high, hierarchies of power are usually suspect. Leaders earn trust by spreading authority through the ranks. Related Distrust is a cancer eating away at our society. It magnifies enmity, stifles cooperation and fuels conspiracy thinking. So the question is, how do you build trust? Within organisations, trust is usually built by leaders who create environments that encourage people to behave with integrity, competence and benevolence. That’s not just a matter of character but of having the right practical skills — knowing what to do in complex situations to make people feel respected and safe.