Trust Amid Insularity

What the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer tells us .... 

Each January, the Edelman Trust Barometer is published with a presentation at Davos. Now in its 26th year, it has become one of the most reliable lenses we have for understanding how people feel about the institutions that shape their lives - business, government, media, and NGOs.

Last year’s report told a story of grievance: people feeling unheard, unfairly treated, and increasingly willing to express anger and resentment as a result. This year’s report 'Trust Amid Insularity' suggests something more troubling still. That grievance hasn’t gone away, and instead, many people are retreating.

Trust isn’t just under pressure anymore. It’s withdrawing inward.

A decade-long slide: from polarisation to grievance to insularity

One of the most useful insights in this year’s report is how Edelman frames trust as a journey over time.

Ten years ago: Polarisation.   Society was becoming more divided, with people increasingly taking opposing sides on political, social, and economic issues. Polarisation means difference with distance; 'us and them' thinking.

One year ago: Grievance.   Polarisation hardened into grievance: a sense that the system is unfair, that certain groups benefit while others lose out, and that institutions are not listening. Grievance is emotional, and rooted in frustration and perceived injustice.

Today: Insularity.   In 2026, Edelman argues we have moved into insularity - a state where people no longer even attempt to bridge differences. Insularity is defined by 'reluctance to trust anyone who does not share your values, your facts, your identity, or your way of solving problems'. It is less confrontational than polarisation, but far more isolating.

Globally, around 70% of people say they are unwilling or hesitant to trust someone different from them. Only 30% remain broadly open to trusting across divides.

That shift matters - profoundly.

WHAT are the Key Findings from the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer

The top 10 findings include:

• Insularity is now the defining trust challenge
• Optimism for the future continues to wane
• Trust varies widely by institution - and country
• Nationalism and domestic preference are growing
• Institutions are failing to broker trust effectively

And so, the report strongly emphasises the point that there is no longer any such thing as 'business as usual'. The environment that leaders are operating in today is not a temporary disruption or a communications challenge to be managed away. 

And the reason is that trust can no longer be assumed. It must be earned repeatedly, often in conditions where people are sceptical by default and quick to withdraw.  This isn’t just a leadership issue or a reputational risk. It reshapes how people behave - as individuals, as citizens, as consumers, and as employees.

SO WHAT is the impact?

Large global surveys can feel abstract, but insularity shows up very concretely in everyday life. Its effects differ depending on where you sit:

• Individuals.   For individuals, insularity often feels rational. When the world feels volatile and confusing, narrowing who you trust can feel like self-preservation. Fewer voices. Fewer sources. Fewer disagreements.  But that narrowing comes at a cost. Reduced exposure to alternative views weakens learning and critical thinking. Disagreement starts to feel threatening rather than useful. Over time, curiosity is replaced by defensiveness, and uncertainty increases rather than decreases.
• Members of society / citizens.   At a societal level, insularity undermines the idea of a shared civic space. Democracies and communities rely on a basic assumption that people with different views are essential components and can still engage in good faith.  When trust collapses across social, cultural, or ideological lines, co-operation becomes harder and compromise becomes suspect. The result isn’t just louder disagreement, it’s withdrawal, cynicism, and disengagement from public life altogether.
• Consumers.   As consumers, people increasingly favour what feels familiar, local, and aligned with their identity. Trust shifts away from abstract claims and towards perceived values and intent. Brands are no longer evaluated only on product quality or price, but on who they are perceived to stand with. In an insular environment, trust is fragile - easier to lose, slower to rebuild, and far more influenced by authenticity than polish.
• Employees.   Within organisations, insularity often shows up as caution and quiet disengagement. Employees may trust their immediate team or manager, but remain sceptical of senior leadership or corporate messaging - especially when it feels disconnected from lived reality. The Edelman data consistently shows that people trust their employer more than many other institutions — but that trust is conditional. Where there is a lack of transparency or empathy feels absent, people retreat - they do what’s required, but little more. Psychological safety suffers, and innovation slows.
• Employers and companies.   For organisations, insularity creates both risk and responsibility. Companies are increasingly expected to operate as trust anchors in a fragmented world - even as trust in institutions continues to erode. Leadership today is less about projecting certainty and more about creating credibility. Organisations that acknowledge complexity, listen actively, and engage honestly across differences are better positioned to sustain trust. Those that default to control, spin, or silence risk reinforcing the very insularity they are trying to overcome.

WHAT NEXT? What should leaders do now?

Edelman’s answer is clear: leaders - wherever you are - must become trust brokers.

They define trust brokering as restoring trust between alienated parties;  helping people engage across difference, not by forcing agreement, but by learning to 'disagree better'.

This is not about choosing sides. It’s about rebuilding the conditions where dialogue, collaboration, and shared problem-solving are still possible.

1.   Accept that trust is now an active responsibility.   Trust no longer comes with the role or the title. Leaders must earn it through behaviour, consistency, and openness - especially when the answers are uncomfortable or incomplete.

2.   Use organisations as bridges, not bubbles.   Employers have a uniquely important role to play. The report shows that people trust their employer more than business in general, and far more than government, media, or other institutions. That makes workplaces one of the few remaining spaces where people from different backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences still come together regularly. Leaders should treat that as a responsibility, not an accident.

3.   Create spaces where disagreement is possible - and safe.  Trust brokering does not mean avoiding conflict. It means designing environments where disagreement does not automatically become distrust. That requires psychological safety, clear norms, and leaders who model curiosity rather than certainty.4.

4.   Lead with transparency and empathy.   People can tolerate bad news better than they can tolerate opacity. Clear communication, honest acknowledgement of trade-offs, and visible empathy matter more than perfectly crafted messages.

5.   Treat trust as a strategic asset.   Trust should not sit solely with communications or HR. It belongs in strategy discussions, leadership development, and performance conversations. In an insular world, trust is not a “soft” issue — it is a core enabler of resilience and progress.

Final thought

The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer paints a sobering picture. We are not just divided; we are increasingly retreating. But insularity is not inevitable.

In a world where trust is narrowing, leadership is no longer about having the loudest voice or the clearest answer. It is about 'building bridges where others see walls', and helping people stay in conversation when it would be easier to walk away.

There may be no such thing as business as usual anymore, but there is still such a thing as leadership, and that matters.

“In leadership, trust is the currency. With it, everything is possible. Without it, nothing is.”                        – Craig Weatherup ( ex CEO & Chair PBG, Philanthropist)

• To read the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer Report, click here.
• To watch a 2 min video by Richard Edelman introducing the report, click here.
• To visit the Edelman site - including the 1 hour Davos Presentation (scroll down towards the bottom to the 'Global Launch Event' section), click here.
• See what I wrote in 2025 about Trust

Ad Futurum

Graham