2026 PwC Trust in Leadership Study

CEO trust starts inside the company: What employees expect

8 minute read
October 2026

Employees generally trust their CEOs, but gaps remain around company performance, AI guardrails and public issues. The 2026 PwC Trust in Leadership Study examines what builds employee trust and outlines practical steps CEOs can take to support engagement, growth and change.

Paul Leinwand

Principal, PwC Leadership Center Leader, PwC US

Kazi Islam

Assurance Partner, PwC US

Key takeaways:

Employees generally trust their CEOs, but that trust is tested when leaders talk about company performance, challenges, and change.
On AI, employees see CEOs as more knowledgeable about efficiency and growth than about jobs, operational disruption, and guardrails.
Growth leads the list of CEO responsibilities, followed closely by employee retention and long-term financial stewardship.

CEO trust starts inside the company

Employees generally trust CEOs, but that trust gets tested when the conversation turns to company performance, AI, and leadership decisions. The 2026 PwC US Trust in Leadership Study looks at what employees expect from CEOs and where leaders may have more work to do. This report focuses on management- and non-management-level employees at companies with 10,000 or more employees.

Reputation matters

CEO reputation is not an abstract issue for employees. Nine in 10 say a CEO’s reputation and track record are important or extremely important when deciding whether to apply to, stay at, or leave a company. At the same time, employees expect CEOs to balance growth with a longer-term view: growth, employee retention, and long-term financial stewardship rank as their top three CEO responsibilities.

The message for CEOs: trust may start with credibility, but employees are evaluating leadership across a much wider set of decisions — from how openly leaders communicate about performance and change to how they approach AI, stewardship, and their public role.

AI is a leadership test

Employees give CEOs their highest marks for understanding how AI can improve efficiency and create growth opportunities. The ratings are lower when it comes to AI’s effect on jobs, disruption to operations, and establishing guardrails. Employees see CEOs as more knowledgeable about AI’s potential upside than some of its harder workforce and operational implications.

Employees expect a long-term view

Growth ranks as employees’ top CEO responsibility, followed closely by employee retention and long-term financial stewardship. Shorter-term measures rank lower. The findings suggest employees are looking to CEOs to deliver growth while also investing in the workforce and stewarding the business for the long term.

Explore the full study for more on what employees expect from CEOs and where trust gets tested.

2026 US Trust in Leadership Study

FAQs

Employee trust can influence engagement, retention and support for business transformation. Employees who trust their CEO may be more willing to support changes needed to advance the organization’s growth agenda.

Employees expect CEOs to drive growth, retain talent, and take a long-term approach to financial stewardship. They also value leaders who build employee trust, set a strong moral tone, and consider the broader impact of the company’s products and services.

Trust is mixed. While many employees believe their CEO tells the truth about performance most of the time, fewer express the highest levels of trust in CEO communications about financial results, company prospects and business challenges.

Employees generally believe CEOs understand how AI can improve efficiency and growth. Confidence is lower regarding AI’s effects on employment, industry disruption, operational risks, and the guardrails needed to govern its use.

CEOs can assess current trust levels, develop plans for different employee groups, and communicate more directly about performance and change. Clear expectations for public commentary and a well-defined approach to AI guardrails can also strengthen trust.

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