#78 It's the Little Things: Building Trust with David Horsager

What if becoming more trustworthy started with something as small as keeping one tiny promise today? In this final guest episode of Be the Sun, Not the Salt, Dr. Harry Cohen and Connie Fontaine sit down with trust expert David Horsager to explore why trust is the ultimate competitive advantage and how “little things, done consistently over time” can transform teams, relationships, and entire organizations. What you’ll hearWhy trust is not a “soft skill,” but the root cause underneath leadership issues, engagement problems, sales slumps, innovation blocks, and culture breakdowns. The eight pillars of trust and how they give you a practical framework, not just a motivational poster. How David’s “how, how, how” process helped leaders triple sales, transform health goals, and even save marriages by getting to one clear, doable next step. Why gratitude shows up as the most magnetic trait in the research and how it quietly erases entitlement, selfishness, and negativity. Real stories of trust being rebuilt after big mistakes, from everyday workplace missteps to public leadership blunders and even political reconciliations. A simple but demanding truth: trust is only rebuilt when you make and keep a new commitment, not just a great apology. Concrete ways to apply this work at home, in friendships, and with colleagues, not just in the C-suite. If you’re thinking about who you want to be in the new year, as a leader, partner, friend, or teammate, this conversation gives you both the inspiration and the tools to start building (or rebuilding) trust in small, meaningful ways. Useful LinksDavid’s book The Trust EdgeDavid’s book Trust Matters More Than Ever (40 practical tools for building trust) David’s book Trust at a Distance: Six Strategies for Building Trust Remotely Trust Edge Leadership Institute and The Trust Outlook annual study on trust (free access for listeners mentioned in the episode) Atomic Habits by James ClearBe the Sun, Not the Salt by Dr. Harry CohenTo explore the book, or for more episodes, information, tips and tools to live a more heliotropic life, visit us at bethesunnotthesalt.com and find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.