Guy Diedrich, Senior Vice President and Global Innovation Officer at Cisco.
Every relationship, whether a personal connection or a business partnership, is built on vulnerability. When businesses carry a voluntary, shared vulnerability, they build trust with every reliable interaction, creating a stronger partnership. These are key tenets of the business world. Leaders want to work with businesses that are consistent, reliable and predictable; when an organization demonstrates these qualities time after time, the economic value of that partnership skyrockets.
In the modern world, trust is more than just the glue that allows people to do business with each other—it helps sustain efficient markets. It means that organizations do not have to build 30 pages of safeguards into every contract. It means businesses can exchange money in anticipation of receiving a service, and it means companies can hand off tasks under tight deadlines to partners with full confidence.
But trust’s place in society has shifted dramatically over the past few decades. What was once built on community and personal connection has become formal and institutionalized. The latest World Values Survey found that the proportion of the global population who believes “most people can be trusted” dropped by nearly 20% from the 15 years prior.
Now, organizations must take strides to integrate trust into business or risk losing critical relationships. Despite changing attitudes, trust and constant collaboration empower businesses to achieve greater outcomes in an increasingly digital world.
Baking Trust Into Every Interaction
Understanding the value of trust, even in the face of uncertain times and circumstances, is a core business pillar at Cisco. It makes the company a predictable force amid unexpected events and geopolitical turmoil, and it is what Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) was built on 10 years ago.
Through CDA, Cisco works with other countries to build out infrastructure and digitize nations. Symmetric vulnerability is mission-critical to the program, and there is an embedded level of vulnerability when a global leader chooses Cisco to digitize their country. The direct investment Cisco makes to support the digital agenda of that country—in the form of funded pilots and proofs of concept—without any promise of a return, matches that vulnerability.
When working with countries that face a constant undercurrent of change or when operating in markets that are difficult to break into, trust is particularly important. It is what allowed CDA to build partnerships with countries like Saudi Arabia. Over the past few years, the program has brought in telehealth, interactive learning environments and other game-changing digital innovations through a series of successful projects.
This concept can be effectively multiplied in companies across the globe, regardless of size or scale. There are various ways businesses can integrate trust into their models, but it starts with symmetric vulnerability. By taking the first step to offer support or services without a confirmed return on investment, businesses show they can be trusted through action. Trusted partners are worth investing in because trust is returned in-kind and serves as a critical building block to a strong relationship. From there, it’s about delivering on stated values and maintaining consistency—businesses must make their word stand for something to build trust.
When organizations ground their partnerships in trust and align around a shared mission to serve global communities, public-private partnerships can transcend electoral cycles, global conflict and other barriers to meaningful cooperation. We have found that trust is the currency of the digital age, as it allows for efficient transactions and stretches the boundaries of innovation.
The Future Of Trust In Business
Looking ahead, the proliferation of artificial intelligence in the global economy means that trust will undergo yet another transformation in business. AI agents and autonomous technologies will give rise to a different class of threats, making trust between organizations more vital than ever.
Business leaders must feel confident that their partners are using AI responsibly and ethically, with built-in safeguards. This assurance can come from detailed contracts and procedures—or from strong, trust-based relationships built on shared vulnerability and a commitment to fairness.
In the end, only reliable brands with purpose-driven, transparent beliefs and a foundation of trust will stand the test of time.
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