Combatting Cynicism in Your Organization artwork
HBR On Leadership

Combatting Cynicism in Your Organization

Feb 25, 2026 · 29 min

Around the world, we’ve become increasingly cynical about other people, public institutions, and corporations. Back in 2022, Edelman’s Trust Barometer found that nearly 60% of respondents across 27 countries reported that their default is to distrust. And that’s bad for business, says Stanford University associate professor of psychology Jamil Zaki. He says that cynics damage trust, and in workpla…