Breakout Presentation
Presentation Details
"The Trust(ed) Co-Author: Sourcing the Stories That Rebuild Trust Inside Your Organization"
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In January, Edelman released its 2026 Trust Barometer, revealing a continued decline in trust toward institutions, leaders, and media. Yet trust in something else has grown: my CEO, my coworkers, my neighbors. The trust that survived did not disappear. It moved closer to home.
For leaders, this raises an important question: If trust is retreating to the inner circle, what story are you telling when your team turns around to look at you?
In this presentation, Dr. Rod Berger, CultureCon’s Storyteller in Residence and author of The Narrative Edge, explores how leaders can build trust through authentic storytelling in an increasingly divided and uncertain environment. Drawing on more than 4,000 interviews across boardrooms, refugee camps, and basketball courts, Rod introduces the concept of the Trust(ed) Co-Author, a leadership posture designed to help leaders communicate with greater authenticity, proximity, and intention.
Through practical frameworks and reflection, participants will explore why some leadership messages resonate while others fall flat, how organizations communicate under pressure, and what stories teams are truly waiting to hear.
Participants will leave ready to:
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Assess how their leadership communication is landing and adapt their storytelling to build trust in today’s changing environment.
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Distinguish between “Police Report” and “Kitchen Table” storytelling and recognize which approach their organization defaults to under pressure.
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Apply the Four Quadrants framework to identify and source stories that strengthen trust and connection.
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Use the Quick Leadership Assessment to better understand their storytelling style and leadership presence.
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Explore opportunities to strengthen trust within their teams through authentic, intentional communication.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Rod Berger is CultureCon’s Storyteller in Residence and a globally recognized storytelling expert who has conducted more than 4,000 interviews for Forbes, Entrepreneur, global podcasts, corporate leaders, agencies, and world-renowned universities. His work has taken him everywhere from meeting with the Pope and UN officials to refugee camps in Uganda, Formula 1 garages, and the TEDx stage. Berger also served as a guest lecturer at Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management for nearly two decades, exploring the power of storytelling in business.
Berger is the author of The Narrative Edge and its companion Field Guide, which help leaders understand and shape the stories driving their decisions, cultures, and leadership. With a doctorate in clinical psychology, he brings a unique lens to helping leaders move from inherited stories to intentionally authored ones.
