Combatting Cynicism in Your Organization
From HBR On Leadership by Harvard Business Review
February 25, 2026 · 30 min · Episode 150
About this episode
Jamil Zaki discusses the impact of cynicism on trust and workplace outcomes, and how to combat it.
Around the world, we’ve become increasingly cynical about other people, public institutions, and corporations. Back in 2022, Edelman’s Trust Barometer found that nearly 60% of respondents across 27 countries reported that their default is to distrust. And that’s bad for business, says Stanford University associate professor of psychology Jamil Zaki. He says that cynics damage trust, and in workplaces they breed toxicity and lead to poor outcomes. He explains how to identify and change this kind of behavior at your organization. Zaki wrote the HBR article, “Don’t Let Cynicism Undermine Your Workplace.”
People in this episode
Guest: Jamil Zaki
Topics covered
- cynicism
- trust
- workplace toxicity
- organizational behavior
- psychology
Keywords
- cynicism
- trust
- workplace
- toxicity
- psychology
- Edelman Trust Barometer
- organizational change
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Stanford University, Edelman
Books & works: Don’t Let Cynicism Undermine Your Workplace
More episodes of HBR On Leadership
- How to Cultivate Your “Personal Power” as a Leader · June 3, 2026 · 26 min
- How Shake Shack Balanced Digitalization with Its Hospitality Ethos · May 27, 2026 · 29 min
- Getting Buy-In for Your Next Big Idea · May 20, 2026 · 30 min
- Redefining What Efficiency Means in the Age of AI · May 13, 2026 · 30 min
- Communicating with Confidence When You’re Under Pressure · May 7, 2026 · 34 min
- Build Your Resilience in the Face of Tough Change · April 29, 2026 · 25 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the HBR On Leadership podcast page.