Why Trust and Culture Are Your Most Valuable Business Assets

Ask a room of business owners about value, and they’ll often discuss balance sheets, revenue multiples, or EBITDA.1 But working with seasoned leaders, we’ve seen time and time again that a company’s long-term success often hinges less on financial statements and more on something harder to quantify — trust and culture.

The Decline of Trust

Research consistently shows that trust in institutions — government, media, even non-profits — has fallen.2

During the pandemic, many organizations proved they could adapt quickly, with employees working remotely and still driving results. Rather than taking an opportunity to build on that trust, some companies abruptly demanded a return to the old model of monitoring employees in offices. The result? Frustrated and disengaged teams that felt their efforts weren’t respected.

Trust, once lost, is hard to win back.

Engagement Is More Than Showing Up

Employee engagement isn’t about warm slogans or surface-level perks. It’s about whether employees genuinely believe in the company’s mission and understand their role in it. That’s why at The Wealth Stewards, one of our core values is “people first, always.” Leading with relationships rather than transactions extends not only to our clients and partners but also to our team. 

Additionally, we’re always adapting and aligning our business and capabilities to better serve our clients. Much of our improvements begin with feedback from the diverse team we’ve cultivated, each member with unique perspectives, skills, and contributions to our firm’s bigger picture. This shared mission of service to our clients and each other has kept our culture and focus strong.

Consider the story of the custodian at a major medical center who proudly told a visitor: “Dr. DeBakey and I are saving lives together.” He understood his job wasn’t just mopping floors — it was preventing infections and protecting patients.

That level of connection to purpose doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when leaders clearly communicate the why behind the work and make every team member feel their contribution matters.

Six Questions Every Leader Should Ask

If you want to gauge the health of your culture, here are six simple but powerful questions to spark meaningful conversations:

  1. What is your job? – Focus not just on tasks but contributions to the bigger mission.
  2. How are you doing? – Do employees receive meaningful feedback?
  3. Does anybody care? – Are accountability and recognition part of the culture?
  4. Who are we? – Does the organization have a clear and compelling identity?
  5. How are we doing? – Are results shared transparently with the team?
  6. How can I help? – Do employees feel empowered to contribute solutions?

If your team struggles to answer these, it’s not necessarily an employee failure but could indicate a leadership gap.

Culture During Growth, Mergers, and Exits

As an owner, if you’re preparing for growth or a future exit, culture becomes even more critical:

  • Acquisitions – Merging companies isn’t just about financials; cultural clashes can quickly destroy value. The best acquirers build a new hybrid culture that honors the strengths of both organizations.
  • Exits – A strong, engaged culture increases valuation by reducing turnover, retaining clients, and ensuring continuity.
  • Succession – Transitioning leadership is far smoother when employees feel trusted, respected, and aligned with the mission.

In fact, culture often makes the difference between a transaction that looks good on paper and one that thrives in reality. We often help business owners navigate this balance between the financial aspects of growth and the human side of leadership.

Leading with Trust

Trust is now one of the most valuable currencies in business. It’s built when leaders:

  • Communicate openly about purpose and expectations
  • Balance flexibility (like hybrid work) with intentional in-person time
  • Treat employees as adults — supportive but accountable
  • Recognize culture is not static; it evolves and requires care

When employees believe their leaders respect them, feel connected to the why, and see integrity in action, they don’t just comply — they commit.

An Investment in Trust and Culture

Building a successful company takes more than strategy and strong financials — it takes stewardship. For business owners, culture and trust aren’t soft concepts but strategic assets that drive engagement, retention, performance, and ultimately, enterprise value. 

Without them,  you risk losing your best people and eroding long-term value. Invest in them, and you create an organization people want to join, stay with, and grow alongside.

Whether you’re focused on growth, succession, or your eventual exit, trust and culture are essential metrics. If you’d like to explore how to  strengthen your business value from the inside out, contact us today.

  1. Hayes, A. (2025, September 23). EBITDA: Definition, Calculation Formulas, History, and Criticisms. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/ebitda.asp.
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  2. Markham, I. (2024, February 9). Trust: Increasingly Hard to Win, Easier Than Ever to Lose. The Wall Street Journal. https://deloitte.wsj.com/riskandcompliance/trust-increasingly-hard-to-win-easier-than-ever-to-lose-951e641e.
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