Bellwether.

A fine old English word, originally used to describe a ram fitted with a bell relied upon to lead the rest of the flock, so shepherds could track the herd by sound alone.

These days it refers to a person, thing, or event that acts as a leader or indicator of future trends.

For many years, when presenting Edelman's Trust Barometer to clients and prospects, I would regularly use the term to explain why employee trust matters so much.

Because if the people inside an organisation trust its leadership, strategy and conduct, then this is a strong bellwether signal to the outside world of just how credible and trustworthy that business is.

This signal matters more than ever, because institutional trust is under intense pressure.

In my home market, SenateSHJ's 2026 Togetherness Index found that 69% of Australians trust information from family and 64% trust friends. That compares with 39% for mainstream media, 34% for the federal government and 28% for large businesses.

The learning, in the current climate, is that trust travels best via human relationships, credible voices and visible evidence, rather than institutional assertion alone.

And this is just as relevant in the B2B ecosystem.

Dentsu's Superpowers research, published late last year, found that 70% of buyers prefer content from industry voices, while 67% of C-suite respondents say content is more relevant when it comes from a person rather than a brand.

For many organisations, this creates a challenge.

Prospects not only want to see a polished firm proposition. They also want evidence that the people behind it understand their world, can explain complex issues clearly and have a perspective worth hearing.

Which is why the external visibility of emerging leaders matters just as much as, if not more than, that of the small handful of rainmakers who have been the face of the firm until now.

Their informed commentary, articles, presentations, media contributions and professional conversations are collectively the bellwether for the depth of expertise inside the firm. Not because they are corporate cheerleaders, but because they make genuine authority visible, and visibility builds credibility and trust.

This is the reason Trevor Young and I created The Breakfast Club: to help emerging leaders identify what they should be known for, whom they need to reach and how to build credible authority without becoming a content machine.

Being heard matters.

Being seen as credible and trustworthy matters more.