You can be brilliant, confident, even right—and still not be trusted.
I learned this the hard way. Early in my career, I assumed that working harder, knowing more, and delivering results would automatically earn trust. People respected my competence, but they didn't always follow me. They didn't open up. And sometimes, they didn't stay.
That's because trust isn't built on expertise alone. It's built on three layers—and the most powerful one is the one nobody talks about.
In this episode of Amanda's Playbook, I break down:
✓ Competence – Why being smart gets you admired, but not always trusted
✓ Character – How consistency (not perfection) builds believability
✓ Clarity – Why confusion kills trust, even when your ideas are genius
✓ Benevolence – The overlooked layer that overrides credentials every time
Chapters:
0:00 – Intro: When Being Smart Isn't Enough
0:39 – Level 1: Competence (Do You Know What You're Doing?)
1:05 – Level 2: Character (Who are you as a person?)
1:34 – Level 3: Clarity
2:15 – 3 Layers of Trust Explained
The truth: People don't just need to know you're capable. They need to believe you have their best interests at heart. That's relationship capital—and it's the real engine of influence.
Whether you're building a personal brand, leading a team, or trying to earn trust in a new space, this framework will change how you show up.
🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS:
→ How to signal competence without over-explaining
→ How to demonstrate character in high-stakes moments
→ How to build trust when you haven't earned it yet (borrow trust, admit the gap, offer value anyway)
→ Why benevolence beats credentials in the trust equation
📚 ABOUT THE SERIES:
This is Episode 3 of The Influence Equation—a framework for building authentic influence without faking it. We've covered charisma and influence. Now we're diving into the foundation: trust.
Previous episodes:
Episode 1: Charisma → https://youtu.be/51s6DczcSjo?si=vWN0e2ZCJ3Ti9by9
Episode 2: Influence → https://youtu.be/lTlVW3sfNTs?si=z5KcfS79ocAGb6eT
Next up: Episode 4 explores "Hero’s Journey for Thought Leaders".
👤 ABOUT AMANDA RUSSELL:
I'm a faculty member at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, where I co-direct the world's first accredited influencer marketing program. I'm also a 2x founder and exit CEO, author of The Influencer Code, and board advisor to Lamborghini and the Andy Roddick Foundation.
I built my career at the intersection of academia and entrepreneurship—teaching what actually works because I've built it first.
🔗 CONNECT WITH ME:
Website: https://www.amandarussell.co
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/profamandarussell
Instagram: @amandarussellfss
Book: The Influencer Code – https://www.amandarussell.co/the-influencer-code/
💬 LET'S TALK:
Drop a comment: Who's someone you admire but don't fully trust? (And why do you think that is?)
🔔 SUBSCRIBE for weekly insights on influence, leadership, and authentic brand-building.
Charisma gets attention. Trust gets loyalty. Let's build both.
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