The Trust Triangle
Diagnose and fix trust wobbles through authenticity, logic, and empathy
The Trust Triangle framework identifies three foundational components of trust: authenticity, logic, and empathy. When all three are strong, trust flourishes. When any one wobbles, trust breaks down. The framework provides a diagnostic tool to identify which component is weakest for you personally, and prescriptive actions to strengthen each. Empathy wobbles are the most common because people do not believe you are genuinely in it for them. Logic wobbles come in two forms: the quality of your reasoning or your ability to communicate it. Authenticity wobbles occur when you mute who you really are, which paradoxically makes you less trustworthy. By identifying your specific wobble pattern, you can implement targeted fixes that produce measurable trust improvements almost immediately.
- Trust has three independent components: authenticity, logic, and empathy, and any single wobble threatens the whole
- The most common trust wobble is empathy because people sense you are too self-distracted to care about them
- Communicating logic point-first rather than narrative-first prevents the perception of muddled thinking
- Authenticity requires the courage to be yourself especially when you represent difference
- Identify Your Trust WobbleReflect on situations where people seem not to trust you. Determine which of the three components is weakest: Do people doubt your authenticity? Your logic? Or your empathy? Ask trusted colleagues for honest feedback on which wobble they observe most frequently in your interactions across different contexts.Pro tipMost people have one dominant wobble that shows up consistently across contexts
- Fix Empathy WobblesIdentify the specific people, situations, and times when you are most likely to be distracted and therefore withhold empathy. Create physical triggers to re-engage by putting away your phone in meetings, making eye contact, and deeply immersing yourself in others perspectives. The cell phone is the single largest empathy destroyer yet invented.Pro tipPut your phone in a different room during important conversations, not just face-down on the tableWarningFaking empathy is worse than not showing it because people can detect inauthenticity in milliseconds
- Fix Logic WobblesIf your logic quality is sound but communication is weak, restructure how you share ideas. Start with your point in a crisp half-sentence, then provide supporting evidence. This inverts the common narrative-first approach where you take people on a journey to your conclusion. Leading with the point ensures your idea gets heard even if you are interrupted.Pro tipThis is especially important for people who are frequently interrupted before reaching their conclusion
- Fix Authenticity WobblesIdentify areas where you are muting or suppressing your true self to fit in. Pay less attention to what you think people want to hear and more attention to what your authentic self needs to say. For leaders, create conditions where authenticity is not just safe but celebrated, making it clear that difference is the key to achieving excellence.Pro tipWear whatever makes you feel fabulous as physical comfort with your presentation signals internal authenticityWarningAuthenticity in hostile environments requires systemic support from leaders not just individual courage
When Frances Frei joined Uber, the company was wobbling on all three trust components. The empathy fix was simple but powerful: banning phones from meetings forced people to look up, listen, and immerse themselves in others perspectives. The logic fix involved massive executive education for rapidly promoted managers.
Frances Frei developed this framework while working as a senior VP at Uber during its massive trust crisis. She was drawn to the company precisely because it had lost trust with every constituent that mattered. Through her work helping Uber address empathy, logic, and authenticity failures, she codified the three components of trust into a diagnostic and prescriptive system that could be applied at both individual and organizational levels.