Episode 97 - Leading Through the Trust Jungle (featuring Rob McKenna)
Stories of what now, and what’s next.
There is Life After Ministry.
What happens when trust breaks inside a church, nonprofit, or leadership team? Dr. Rob McKenna explains why trust is more than a feeling, how leaders can rebuild it after failure, and why succession is really the transfer of trust.
This conversation explores emotional maturity, candor, vulnerability, blind spots, competence, reliability, and the three questions every team member is asking: Do I matter? Are you telling me the truth? Do I belong here?
Key Takeaways
Trust has identifiable drivers, including candor, competence, reliability, emotional maturity, and concern for others.
Nearly half of employees experience their workplace as a “jungle of trust.”
Competence matters, but competence alone does not make someone a trusted leader.
Rebuilding trust requires responsibility, self-awareness, grace, and continual repair.
Succession is more than transferring a role; it is transferring trust into a team and organizational culture.
Leaders must create conditions where people can tell the truth and receive difficult feedback.
Every team member is asking: Do I matter? Are you telling me the truth? Do I belong here?
Chapter Markers
00:00 – Succession as the transfer of trust
01:23 – Introducing Dr. Rob McKenna
02:15 – Why trust is difficult in ministry and nonprofit organizations
06:04 – The State of Trust at Work
08:34 – Signs that trust is missing
10:25 – Why competence alone is not enough
14:19 – What it means to be a whole leader
18:00 – Handling difficult conversations during transition
20:00 – Succession and the transfer of trust
24:51 – How leaders rebuild trust after failure
28:34 – Blind spots and meaningful change
32:44 – What individuals can do in a jungle of trust
35:57 – How organizations can begin rebuilding trust
39:00 – Closing thoughts and resources
Visit MinistryTransitions.com if a leadership transition is exposing cracks in trust. To learn more about Dr. Rob McKenna’s work, Whole Leaders, Wild Trust, and WiLD Leaders’ tools, visit wildleaders.org.
