Loyalty, Loyalty, Loyalty: Leading When the Trust Is Gone

 

 

By Tekeisha Zimmerman | The Leadership Jukebox

Leadership lessons that stay with you like a hook that won’t let go.

This upcoming week, we celebrate Independence Day, a time when we’re supposed to feel unified. Proud. Free.

But this year, I feel… unsteady.

Like many people I know, I’m questioning the direction of this country. What does loyalty mean when rights feel reversible, safety feels political, and truth feels negotiable? And what does trust look like when you’re not sure who’s protecting your future?

Unfortunately, that same unsteady feeling is creeping into today’s workplace. Many leaders are guiding teams in the aftermath of layoffs. Teams that are grieving, guarded, and uncertain. Even those unaffected directly are watching how decisions unfold and wondering: does loyalty still mean anything?

Now leaders are being asked to restore trust, re-engage hearts, and rebuild what’s been broken. I’ve been there myself. After a company-wide layoff, I had to support my team who had just lost colleagues and clarity. It was hard for me because in transparency, I didn’t fully trust the organization either. I had questions I couldn’t answer and decisions I hadn’t made. But I knew my team needed direction, honesty, and steadiness even if I wasn’t sure I had any to give.

That’s the tension many leaders are sitting in right now. They’re expected to be the face of trust while privately navigating their own disillusionment.

So this week on The Leadership Jukebox, we’re pressing play on Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty” and exploring what it really takes to rebuild trust after a layoff. The song is a collaboration with Rihanna, and it wrestles with questions of devotion, motives, and whether loyalty is real or performative. It’s about the loyalty we claim versus the loyalty we prove when things get hard. And that’s exactly what today’s leaders are grappling with. 

 

After rounds of restructuring and unexpected exits, the question isn’t just “Will my team follow me?” It’s “Do they still believe I’m for them?” This song reminds us that loyalty isn’t automatic. It’s earned, tested, and rebuilt, especially after trust has been shaken.

 

Let’s press play. 

In uncertain times, your team isn’t looking for a perfect leader—they’re looking for a present one. Someone who’s willing to be honest about the hard stuff and human in the process. Before you try to reignite motivation, you have to meet people where they are. Here are three tips to help you navigate the road to rebuilding trust after after a company-wide layoff.

1. Keep It Honest—Acknowledge the Fallout

“I said I’m geeked and I’m fired up / All I want tonight is just to get high up”

 

Kendrick starts off emotional but there’s also an undertone of escape. That’s exactly how many teams feel post-layoff. Fired up emotionally, but also wondering if they need to begin planning their way out of the organization. They’re feeling checked out. Guarded.

Too often, leaders jump straight to motivation mode: Let’s move forward! But you can’t rebuild trust if you’re pretending nothing’s broken.

In 2018, General Motors (GM) made the painful decision to cut 15% of its salaried workforce and close multiple plants. CEO Mary Barra, didn’t distance herself from the decision. Instead, she leaned in with honesty, knowing the weight it carried. Barra communicated directly with employees, acknowledged the personal toll, and created space for people to process. Like many leaders today, she had to balance empathy with strategy. She acknowledged the decision with transparency and compassion, even when the message was hard to deliver.

🎤 Mic drop moment:
You can’t rebuild trust if you pretend nothing’s broken. Let your team grieve. Then invite them into what’s next with honesty, not hype.

2. Reaffirm What Hasn’t Changed

“Tell me who you loyal to / Is it money? Is it fame? Is it w**d? Is it drink?”

This lyric asks the question what’s driving you? After a layoff, your team is wondering the same. Are you loyal to them or just the bottom line?

When COVID-19 devastated the travel industry, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson had to furlough tens of thousands of employees. It was a heartbreaking decision, but he made one thing clear: Marriott’s people-first values hadn’t changed. 

In a video message recorded just weeks after cancer treatment, Sorenson reminded employees that compassion and care still defined the company’s DNA. He didn’t just say it. He lived it. From maintaining healthcare coverage for furloughed staff to regularly communicating with teams, he backed his words with action. Even in crisis, Sorenson made sure Marriott stayed anchored in who they were.

🎤 Mic drop moment:
Your team knows what’s changed. What they need to hear and see is what hasn’t.

3. Make Transparency Your Default Setting

 “It’s a secret society / All we ask is trust”

Kendrick says it plainly: trust is everything. But after a layoff, trust doesn’t bounce back through polished speeches or all-hands decks. It returns slowly and in real conversations.

Dan Schulman understood this. During restructuring efforts at PayPal, he didn’t disappear or sugarcoat. He explained the “why,” invited feedback, and made space for dialogue. Even amid hard decisions, he treated employees like stakeholders, not spectators.

He backed this up with initiatives that prioritized equity, inclusion, and financial wellness which proved his commitment went beyond the crisis.

🎤 Mic drop moment:
Trust dies in the dark. Say what you know. Admit what you don’t. Keep the door open.

Final Verse: You Can Rebuild Trust

If you’re navigating trust with your team after a layoff, know this: it’s hard and it can take a personal toll. You might be carrying your own doubts while trying to be steady for everyone else.

Ask yourself:

• Who’s quietly watching to see if they can still count on you?
• What part of rebuilding trust feels hardest right now?
• When your team feels uncertain, will they see you leading with heart?

🎶 TL;DR – How to Rebuild Trust After a Layoff

• Start with the truth. Honor what’s been lost. Let your team grieve. Lead with honesty, not spin.
• Reaffirm your values. In uncertainty, remind people what still anchors your leadership.
• Lead with transparency. Say more than you’re comfortable with. Trust grows in what’s shared.

The announcement has passed, but the impact is still unfolding.

So lead like trust can be rebuilt. Because it can.