Now, more than ever, senior leaders must adhere to their valuesand organizational purpose to create and maintain employee andstakeholder trust. PricewaterhouseCoopers has been surveying CEOsfor 20 years to gain their perspective on major trends affectingindustry and the world economy. Its 2016 survey included interviewswith almost 1,400 CEOs from 79 countries. The importance of trustin a time of globalization and technological change was front andcenter in their minds. Eighty-nine percent believe that a strongcorporate purpose is more important than ever. Eighty-five percentthink that business should take into account stakeholder needs,which can include customers, employees, communities and evengovernments, in addition to shareholders.

The CEOs regard collaboration with these multiple constituenciesas serving a greater purpose and contributing to social well-being.They see business as a force for good. Conscious attention tovalues and purpose may be bearing fruit. In a separate PwC surveyof the general public, 35% agreed that businesses have increasedtheir focus on operating in a way that takes them and communityinto account. Trust follows.

CEOs have seen the benefits of globalization in helping toincrease flows of capital, goods, information and people.Globalization greatly improved global connectivity and contributedto the creation of a skilled workforce. The surprising votingresults of 2016, however, particularly in the U.S. and U.K.,highlighted pressures against established views on globalizationand trade. Moreover, CEOs appeared to have predicted 2016'sdisruption. In PwC's 2015 survey they identified a trend towardnationalism, devolving nations, and regional trading blocks, and atrend away from political and economic unions and a global marketplace.

Public discontent over gaps in skills and jobs, and inequalityin income, has arisen not just from globalization, but alsotechnology. For those left behind, feeling unheard andunder-represented exacerbated discontent. The CEOs acknowledgedthat global problems, such as climate change and reducing incomeinequality – the fuel of discontent – were not addressed byglobalization and increased use of technology. Public discontentcan be a danger to growth, whereas social well-being can drivelong-term economic performance.

Especially in this environment, gaining and keeping stakeholdertrust can be as fragile as it is critical. Not surprisingly, mostCEOs (68%) feel that gaining and keeping trust is harder today thanbefore. Moreover, CEOs see that reputations and trust can bequickly damaged through social media. Eighty-seven percent believe social media couldhave a negative impact on trust for their industry. In a world ofhyper-connectivity, C-suite decisions can be widely and rapidlycirculated and stakeholders more often hear of missteps thanachievements. This environment requires much more adeptcommunication. Smart use of technology can support and amplifyconstructive two-way communication. Input reaches senior leadersmore easily, strengthening the information needed for sounddecisions that support an organization's purpose and trust levels.Additionally, decisions that support stakeholders are more easilycommunicated.

Employee fears about technology and workplace dislocation due toartificial intelligence and robotics are understandable. CEOsthemselves are apprehensive about the speed of technological change(70%). Even so, only 4% plan to cut headcount this year due totechnology. CEOs are more concerned about the availability oftalent and the shortages of skills (77%), particularly as 52%expect to increase overall headcount.

Given employee fear of technological change, and seniorleadership's fear of skill shortages, development of existingemployees is acutely important and addresses both concerns.Moreover, to take advantage of new opportunities, most CEOs sawthat their organizations needed to strengthen and develop multipleareas, including innovation (23%), human capital (15%), and digitaland technological capabilities (15%). Embedding continuous learninginto your organization's culture gives employees skills to preparefor a technologically changing world, while ensuring they feelvalued. This involves all levels of the organization, but startswith the CEO's commitment. This investment in people providesdividends in profits, builds trust and advances the organization'spurpose in this time of disorienting change.

The human touch matters. Creativity and innovation, leadership,emotional intelligence and adaptability, the skills that CEOs namedas most important, cannot be reproduced by technology. It is themarrying of technology with uniquely human capabilities that cantransform organizations when properly executed. When done well,this is an art that will improve an organization's ability topursue its purpose and it will increase trust. For example, doctorsbenefit from automated, data-driven information that enhancesdiagnostic accuracy, and telemedicine is making healthcare moreaccessible. Nonetheless, it is the human-to-human interaction andcommunication that allow patients to trust that they are caredfor.

Stuart Levine is chairman and CEO, Stuart Levine& Associates, EduLeader LLC. He can be reachedat 516-465-0800 or [email protected].