Trust falls? No! Trust leaps? Absolutely: Rachel Botsman

Trust. It might just be your change leadership superpower. In this episode of Change Signal, Rachel Botsman, Oxford University Fellow and the world’s leading voice on trust, joins Michael Bungay Stanier for a conversation that rewires how we think about transformation. Rachel shares why trust is best understood as “a confident relationship with the unknown”—and why the desire for control and certainty during change often backfires. You’ll learn: Why resistance can be a sign of trust, not a threat to it How segmenting your organization by “trust states” unlocks smarter communication Why change leaders need to build “negative capability” to hold ambiguity What makes “Move fast and break things” a harmful mantra for transformation How fragility and patience can become strategic assets in times of change 🎯 KEY TOPICS: 00:00 Introduction 02:25 Redefining trust as a relationship with the unknown 05:50 Identifying trust states inside your organization 09:20 Resistance as engagement—not a red flag 13:40 How trust gets broken during change 17:05 "Move fast and break things": the cost of speed 21:35 Building negative capability: holding space for uncertainty 25:50 Trust, fragility, and the long game of change 29:40 Final reflections 💡 ABOUT RACHEL: Rachel Botsman is a leading expert on trust in the modern world. She is the author of three critically acclaimed books—What’s Mine is Yours, Who Can You Trust?, and How to Trust & Be Trusted—and was the first Trust Fellow at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, where she continues to teach. Her TED talks have been viewed over 5 million times, and her insights have shaped thinking in organizations from Salesforce and Adobe to the World Economic Forum. 👉 RESOURCES: Rachel’s website: rachelbotsman.com Books & podcast: rachelbotsman.com/podcasts Her TED Talks: ted.com/speakers/rachel_botsman Subscribe to the Change Signal newsletter: thechangesignal.com 🔔 Subscribe for more insights on change that actually works: ‪@ChangeSignal‬ #TrustAndChange, #RachelBotsman, #OrganizationalTrust, #ChangeLeadership, #EmbracingUncertainty, #ChangeSignal, #LeadershipMindset, #TransformationStrategy, #EmployeeEngagement, #NegativeCapability, #LeadingThroughChange, #PsychologicalSafety, #TrustBasedLeadership