Who do we trust? Where do we turn to for advice? What organisations can we look to in times of change?

I was doing some research and came across this article on the Australian Leadership Index. It provides a visual matrix of the social perception of intentions and competence. It started me thinking about the changes in how we seek information in times of crisis.

It was no surprise to me that our emergency services who continue to show up and save our lives are rated highly, and government institutions, are ranking low as they continue to make headlines for all the wrong reasons.

When media is ranked so low for a social license, it starts to make sense to me why more people seek information from our social networks. With once trusted institutions like religious organisations ranked lower than state and local governments, mining and insurance it made me curious as to what other social institutions have had a shift in perception and trust.

According to the Australian Leadership Index, “The warmer and more competent a social institution is perceived, the more it is trusted, seen as having a social licence to operate, and showing leadership for the greater good. This should give Australia’s leaders, especially its political, business and trade union leaders, pause before asking the public to trust their deliberations and assurances of concern for the public interest.”

This article is a short easy read, it did pique my curiosity, and created some insights. The bigger question is, what needs to change for our Australian Leadership?