What do People Trust the Most?

What do people trust the most? Who do you, as an individual trust? Do you trust yourself? Do you trust your friends? Do you trust your family? Do you trust the government?

According to the findings by 2016 Edelman Trust Barometer people have varied levels of Trusts including the following:

• 78 percent of respondents who took part in the Edelman Trust Barometer said that they trusted their family and friends on social networking sites more than CEOs. I don’t know if you trust your CEO too.
• 49 percent of the respondents want to see a shift in CEO focus from short-term results and lobbying to job creation while 57 percent wanted the shift to focus on positive long-term impact.
• 80 percent of the respondents said they wanted business leaders more visible in discussions of income inequality and public policy.
• The government is the least trusted entity according to the barometer for the fifth year running. All around the world, people have never trusted the government. This is often seen during tragedies. For instance, in Kenya, there is a saying that goes, “When the government says that 100 people are dead, you multiply the number by ten.”
• Globally, family-owned companies had 66 percent respondents and it remains most trusted, trailed by public had 52 percent and state-owned had 46 percent.
• For the fifth consecutive year, search engines (63 percent) and traditional media (58 percent) remain the two most trusted sources for general news and information.
• Online media jumped 8 points to 53 percent and is now the third most trusted source, followed by owned media, which is up 3 points to 46 percent and social media (44 percent).

Read: Trust is a Logical and Emotional Affair

According to a poll released by Ipsos, politicians are still trusted less than estate agents, journalists and bankers, whilst hairdressers are among the top five most trusted professions.

The snapshot below shows percentage of people who engage in each behavior based on trust.

Clearly, statistics show that trust can make or break an organization. Indeed it is the key leadership competency of the new global economy.