185. Return on Trust: From Best Kept Secret to Go-To Authority with Petra Zink and Prina Shah
In this episode of Ways to Change The Workplace, Prina Shah sits down with Petra Zink to unpack a concept most leaders talk about - but few truly understand: trust as a measurable return on investment.
Petra challenges the idea that trust is just a “nice-to-have” and instead reframes it as a strategic, compounding asset that directly impacts decision-making, influence, and commercial outcomes.
Together, they explore why so many leaders remain “best kept secrets,” how trust is built (and broken) across different levels, and why the real work starts with trusting yourself first.
This conversation goes deep into leadership behaviour, decision-making under uncertainty, and what it actually takes to become a trusted authority in today’s workplace.
Connect with Petra
• LinkedIn
• Website
• Book: Return on Investment of Trust
In this episode, we discuss:
•Why trust should be treated as a return on investment, not a soft skill
•The Trust Stack: individual → team → cross-functional → organisational → industry
•Why leaders struggle with decision-making in uncertain environments
•How low trust shows up as indecision, delays, and bottlenecks
•The concept of on-the-go credibility (and why polished posts no longer cut it)
•Why we’ve outsourced trust to titles, credentials, and institutions
•The impact of predictability vs perfection in leadership
•How silos, incentives, and “job hugging” erode trust internally
•The authority cliff: why technical experts struggle when promoted to leadership
•The four types of leadership:
- People leadership
- Project leadership
- Change leadership
- Thought leadership
•What breaks trust fastest: unkept promises
•How to rebuild trust through consistency and over-delivery
Key Insight
“Predictability is more important than perfection.
People don’t need you to be right every time — they need to know how you think and how you’ll respond.”
Reflection Questions
•Where are you outsourcing trust instead of building it internally?
•What decisions are being delayed because no one wants accountability?
•Are your values truly non-negotiable — or only when convenient?
•Where might you need to show more of your process, not just your outcomes?
•What is one promise you’ve made that needs to be followed through?
About the Guest
Petra Zink works with leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs to systemise their intellectual property and position themselves as trusted authorities.
She is the creator of the Trusted Authority Framework and is currently writing her second book focused on the Return on Investment of Trust.
Petra helps professionals move from being overlooked to becoming the go-to voice in their industry by building credibility, clarity, and influence.
Send Prina a text to let her know how you'd change the workplace
If you are seeking professional advice or would like to change your company culture through training, consulting, speaking and coaching, get in touch, email me.
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Prina (Helping you find GREAT ways to change your workplace) Shah
