Home / The Leadership Library / Civic Leadership / Public Trust
Public Trust
Legitimacy is built through explained reasoning and consistent conduct, and it is spent by a single unexplained decision.
-
01
Explaining a Decision People Will Not Like
A public body cannot make everybody agree and can determine whether people believe the decision was reached honestly. Those are different objectives and only the second is achievable.
-
02
How Public Trust Is Built and Spent
Legitimacy accumulates through explained reasoning and consistent conduct over years, and it is spent by a single decision nobody can account for. The exchange rate is unfavourable.