Dear Frederick K. Johnson

Self-orientation, or the degree to which a leader focuses on their own needs and interests over those of the team or organization, plays a critical role in trust-building, but its impact varies significantly between low-risk and high-risk leadership situations. In low-risk environments, where the stakes are relatively minimal and the consequences of failure are less severe, self-orientation may be more easily overlooked or tolerated by team members. Trust in such contexts can still develop if the leader demonstrates competence and maintains a basic level of transparency, even if their self-interest is occasionally apparent. However, in high-risk situations, where the potential for significant consequences is greater, self-orientation becomes a major barrier to trust. Team members in these scenarios are more sensitive to the leader's motives, and any perceived prioritization of self-interest can erode trust rapidly. High-risk environments demand a leader who is seen as fully committed to the collective good, as any deviation can lead to doubts about their reliability and integrity.

The difference lies in the heightened need for psychological safety and dependability in high-risk settings. In low-risk situations, trust can be more transactional and less emotionally charged, allowing for some flexibility in the leader's behavior. In contrast, high-risk leadership requires a deeper, more relational form of trust, where the leader's ability to prioritize the team's needs over their own becomes paramount. A self-oriented leader in a high-risk scenario may be perceived as untrustworthy, as their actions could be interpreted as jeopardizing the team's success for personal gain. This dynamic underscores the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence in leadership, particularly in high-stakes environments where trust is both harder to build and easier to lose.

I hope this helps.

Frederick K. Johnson To remain authentic, leaders should filter feedback through their personal values and organizational vision, adopting insights that enhance growth without compromising integrity. Striking this balance requires humility to acknowledge areas for improvement, confidence to stay true to one’s beliefs, and adaptability to evolve in a way that strengthens both personal leadership and team trust.

While self-orientation may not drastically affect trust in low-risk leadership, it becomes a critical barrier in high-risk scenarios, where trust is closely tied to perceptions of fairness, collective interest, and leader composure. Leaders who demonstrate selfless decision-making tend to maintain trust more effectively in high-stakes situations.

Frederick K. Johnson

Self-orientation, defined as the degree to which a leader prioritizes personal gain over collective well-being, plays a markedly different role in trust-building depending on the risk context.

In low-risk leadership situations, such as routine operations or stable environments, followers may be more tolerant of moderate self-orientation, particularly if the leader is competent and delivers consistent outcomes. Here, trust tends to be grounded in reliability and capability. Self-orientation might be overlooked if the leader still provides value to the team or organization.

Conversely, in high-risk environments—such as during crises, rapid change, or organizational restructuring—self-orientation becomes highly detrimental. In these contexts, followers are acutely sensitive to leaders' motives. Any indication that a leader prioritizes personal advancement or safety over collective welfare erodes trust swiftly. Trust in high-risk scenarios is rooted in perceived integrity and shared commitment; thus, low self-orientation is essential to signal alignment with group interests.

Ultimately, leaders who demonstrate low self-orientation foster deeper and more durable trust, especially in volatile or high-stakes situations, by emphasizing empathy, transparency, and shared accountability.