When we say “trust,” many people think of a soft, nice-to-have social virtue, and it is that — but it’s so much more. Trust is a pragmatic, hard-edged, economic, and actionable asset we can create through specific behaviors. It affects the speed at which we can move and the cost of everything.

In this time of change, crisis, and all-around uncertainty, the greatest asset and security any leader has is their credibility. The greatest currency they have is the trust people have in them. The greatest power they have lies in how they choose to extend their trust to others. While that’s always true, during enormous disruption, the critical currency of trust carries an even greater premium.

Trust is the one thing that changes everything. If we do what it takes to build a high-trust culture, even in the midst of a crisis — and I would emphasize especially in the midst of a crisis — we’ll be far more agile, creative, innovative, and collaborative.