Leadership Lessons on Trust When Credibility Is Harder to Earn
As public trust continues to erode and leaders operate under constant scrutiny, the challenge of communicating with credibility has never been more complex or more important. For today’s communicators, trust is not assumed. It is built slowly, tested often, and can disappear in a single news cycle.
Those realities are at the center of a timely leadership conversation shaped by the experience and perspective of Congressman Jim Clyburn. Across decades of public service, his career offers a long-view understanding of what happens when trust in institutions weakens and what it takes to restore credibility once it is lost. (INSERT CLYBURN’S HEADSHOT)
“This conversation is about leadership, not politics,” said Fay Shapiro, publisher of CommPRO. “At a moment when trust feels fragile and scrutiny is constant, communicators are being asked to help leaders show up with clarity, judgment, and credibility. The lessons Congressman Clyburn brings from history and experience are especially relevant for anyone responsible for protecting reputation today.”
That perspective is central to his recent book, The First Eight, which chronicles South Carolina’s first eight Black members of Congress during the Reconstruction era. The book traces how early progress gave way to nearly a century of regression, including the 95-year gap between the election of George Washington Murray and Clyburn’s own election. The lesson is clear and unsettling: when credibility erodes, progress can stall for generations.
According to Paul Duning, Co-founder/Publisher, of Capitol Communicator, “Trust has become the most fragile—and most valuable—currency leaders hold today. This conversation, grounded in Congressman Jim Clyburn’s historical perspective and reinforced by modern crisis and media realities, is a powerful reminder that credibility is built through prudence, consistency, and accountability, not volume or velocity. For today’s communicators, the lesson is clear: how and when leaders speak can shape public trust for years, even generations, to come.”
For communications leaders, those historical lessons feel increasingly current. Analysis from Truescope points to a media environment defined by misinformation, disinformation, and constant amplification. Leaders are now expected to respond instantly, often without full information, while every word and pause is scrutinized across platforms.
In this climate, leadership communication is less about visibility and more about judgment.
Truescope’s insights reinforce that trust is strengthened when leaders communicate with clarity, acknowledge uncertainty, and consistently align actions with stated values. Knowing when to speak, how to show accountability, and when restraint is the better choice has become a defining leadership skill.
Crisis communications experts echo this shift. Credible leadership is built through prepared, empathetic communication that acknowledges impact directly and outlines clear next steps. Increasingly, that credibility depends on close coordination between communications and legal teams, shared ownership of reputational risk, and regular scenario planning before pressure mounts.
"History guarantees one thing: the world keeps evolving, accelerating, and growing more complex. This conversation is about grounding present-day leadership in historical context." Carmella Glover, DAA, "It is so important right now to shed light on the enduring and foundational principles of credible leadership while adapting our strategies for a digital and social landscape where misinformation is indistinguishable from fact, spreads quickly, and trust is harder to win."
While history provides important context, the focus remains firmly on the leadership challenges communicators face today. The conversation centers on credibility, decision making, and trust in a fragmented media landscape, not partisan politics.
More information about the upcoming fireside conversation with Congressman Jim Clyburn and podcast host Michael Zeldin is available here.
