Business is on the brink of distrust.<\/em><\/p>\n It is clear that the expectations of business are changing as rapidly as the world around us. Corporations must find a way to lead.<\/em><\/p>\n A contemporary CEO cannot afford to ignore this sentiment. The epoch of<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a cost of doing business<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/em>has passed; the era of \u201cdoing well by doing good\u201d is upon us. Balancing the profit motive with the creation of societal value is about to become a precondition for the long-term success of any corporation, sector, scale or geographic reach notwithstanding.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n (Note: Trust Across America, through it’s FACTS Framework<\/a>, developed the scorecard in 2009 and has been tracking and ranking the trustworthiness of the largest 2000 US based public companies since that time.)<\/p>\n So what is the path forward for leaders to regain trust in business?<\/strong> After all, the business case for trus<\/a>t has been proven time and again. Perhaps it boils down to the simple question of who owns trust.<\/p>\n The current SOP in most companies, is to take trust\u00a0for granted until there is an “issue” and then trust is \u201cdelegated\u201d to the \u201cright\u201d silo depending on the nature of the problem:<\/p>\n Got the picture? <\/strong><\/p>\n Unfortunately,\u00a0in most companies, no single person or department owns trust and that’s why business is on the brink of distrust. It’s that simple. Imagine running a company without a Chief Financial Officer. How would the job get done? Trust can no longer afford to be treated like a hot potato.<\/p>\n Who should own trust? <\/strong><\/p>\n No doubt, it\u2019s the CEO. Trust starts at the top, as a directive from the Board, with leadership acknowledgement of its strategic importance. Once that occurs, the day-to- day practice could be delegated to a Chief Trust Officer, who reports directly to the CEO.\u00a0Imagine the first company bold enough to do this. Did I just say bold? I meant smart and proactive.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n What would the job entail? <\/strong><\/p>\n What would the job requirements be? <\/strong><\/p>\n Someone who lives the holistic concept of doing well by doing good, is a stellar communicator, and has the right combination of personal qualities to rally the troops. Impeccable character, courage, competence and consistency are key. In fact, not all that different from the qualities of a great CEO.<\/p>\n An organization\u2019s chances at long-term success are predicated on the level of trust it builds with all its stakeholders. I can\u2019t think of a more important and timely job title than Chief Trust Officer. Can you?<\/p>\n Barbara Brooks Kimmel\u00a0is the CEO and Cofounder of\u00a0Trust Across America-Trust Around the World<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She also runs the world’s largest global\u00a0Trust Alliance<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and is the editor of the award- winning\u00a0TRUST INC.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0book series. In 2017 she was named a Fellow of the Governance & Accountability Institute, and in 2012 she was recognized as one of \u201c25 Women who are Changing the World\u201d by Good Business International.\u00a0<\/em>She holds a BA in International Affairs from Lafayette College and an MBA from Baruch at the City University of NY.<\/em><\/p>\n For more information visit our website at www.trustacrossamerica.com<\/a> or contact Barbara Brooks Kimmel, CEO and Cofounder<\/p>\n Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com<\/a><\/p>\n You may also join our Constant Contact mailing list<\/a>\u00a0for updates on our progress.<\/p>\n\n
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