By Janet M. Stovall, CDE
What if the key to unlocking your team’s potential had less to do with your business strategy and more to do with your golf handicap? It sounds strange, but in an era of shifting trust, leaders are learning a powerful lesson: personal connection is the new bottom line. While you’re focused on communicating shareholder value, your employees are wondering what you did on vacation or your favorite color. And according to data expert Pam Jeffords, if you’re not answering, you’re missing a key opportunity to connect.
Are you getting the whole story?
For years, the playbook for employee feedback has been the annual engagement survey. But is it still giving us the full picture? As trust in many institutions continues to shift, employees can be hesitant to give truly candid feedback, especially when they suspect “anonymous” isn’t really anonymous. Pam notes that about 10% of people are already opting out of sharing their identity data. The solution isn’t to stop asking questions; it’s to change the entire game.
The future of feedback is live, anonymous, and feels more like a conversation than a survey. New platforms are making it possible to have real-time, town-hall-style data collection where leaders can see disaggregated results instantly and dig into the “why” behind the numbers. This creates the psychological safety needed for the real story to emerge. It’s a move from data collection to genuine dialogue, and it can boost response rates to over 90%.
Be real
The Edelman Trust Barometer has shown for years that companies became a rare source of trusted information, especially during the pandemic. That created a new dynamic. Employees started seeing their leaders as people, not just titles, and they want to connect on a human level. As Pam explains, trust is built through a combination of head, heart, gut, and wallet. Authentic, personal disclosure hits every single one.
This isn’t just a nice idea; it’s a business imperative. Gallup research shows that only 21% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they trust their organization’s leadership. The same research points to vulnerability as a key tool for rebuilding it, noting that during the pandemic, when leaders were more vulnerable and ‘honest about what they didn’t know,’ trust and engagement reached record highs. And since disengagement costs the global economy a staggering $438 billion in lost productivity in 2024 alone, no leader can afford to ignore it. Sharing your sourdough starter fails or your weekend fishing trip might feel trivial, but it’s one of the most strategic things you can do. It shows you’re a person first and a boss second.
But don’t be a rockstar
A word of caution: being real doesn’t mean performing your wealth. While sharing your weekend fishing trip can build bridges, talking about your rare book collection can build walls. One leader alienated a room full of employees by talking about a hobby that was wildly out of reach for most of them. The goal is to be relatable, not to create envy or distance. Authenticity is about sharing your humanity—your challenges, your small wins, your personality—not your privilege.
Three things you can do now:
- Just start sharing—wisely. You don’t need to bare your soul, but you do need to be real. Find small, authentic ways to share who you are. Talk about a book you’re reading, a weekend project, or a new hobby. The key is to share your humanity, not your status. Let your team see the person behind the title.
- Upgrade your feedback tools. If you’re still using a once-a-year survey tied to employee IDs, it’s time for a change. Look into platforms that offer true anonymity and live, conversational feedback. Create a space where your people feel safe enough to tell you what’s really going on.
- Embrace the new deal. Leadership has changed. It’s not just about vision and strategy anymore. It’s about connection and vulnerability. The demand for personal transparency is here to stay. The leaders who get on board will build the most resilient, engaged, and effective teams.
