Storytelling and the Trust Gap

When I walk onto a stage for the first time, I know I have only a few seconds to build a bridge of trust with my audience. First impressions matter. Your opening hook matters. And trust is everything if you want to take people on a journey over the next 45, 90 or even 480 minutes.

A few years ago I was asked to deliver a keynote on resilience. At the time it wasn’t a topic I felt I fully understood, so I fell back on what I did know: a story. I shared an experience from live television where everything that could go wrong did go wrong. It was messy, it was funny, and it was real. As I told that story, I saw the shift happen. The audience leaned in, laughed with me, and connected. That was the moment I realised that storytelling is not just a tool for entertainment. It is the fastest way to build trust.

Trust has always been fragile, but right now it feels more fractured than ever. Audiences are sceptical. Teams are cautious. Leaders are being measured against a higher bar. And when people are struggling to trust, it is harder to move them, inspire them, or influence them.

Neuroscience gives us a clue why. When you speak, your audience is not simply absorbing your words. Their brain is scanning for alignment. Do your words match your tone? Does your body language match your intention? Do they believe you? The amygdala processes this within milliseconds. When the signals line up, people relax and open themselves to you. When they do not, no number of slides or clever frameworks will hold the room.

This is why congruence is one of the foundations of trust. It is not enough to know your story. You have to live it. When your message, your delivery, and your presence are aligned, people feel safe. That safety is the soil in which trust grows.

This is why I'm obsessed with storytelling. It's one of our greatest assets and one of our most under utilised gifts. Storytelling has been, and always will be, one of the most effective ways to create connection and alignment. A well-chosen story reveals your values. It shows your character. It demonstrates that you are human and fallible, just like the people listening. In that moment of recognition, connection is built.

For business leaders and professionals, this is not a soft skill. It is a critical skill. Storytelling rebuilds the trust gap and allows you to lead with influence, clarity and authenticity. When you stand in front of someone and share a real story, you are not just transferring information. You are saying: this is who I am, this is what I have learned, and this is what I stand for.

That is how trust is built. And once you have trust, everything else becomes possible.

In your corner,

Monique

Keen to learn the tips and tricks of how to become a more impactful and trusted speaker and leader? Send me an email and let's chat: [email protected]