Healing Broken Trust
In business, trust is everything—until it’s not.
Years ago, I was running a company I had poured my heart into. We had just closed a $6M Series A. The team was strong. Momentum was building. Then the unthinkable happened.
Our CFO—someone I trusted deeply—was caught embezzling funds. Slowly, quietly, funneling money into his wife’s business.
I brought in a forensic accountant. The damage was real. The betrayal—personal.
I could’ve gone nuclear. But leadership demanded something different.
I stayed grounded. I protected our investors. I calmed the team. I acted swiftly, not out of revenge—but out of alignment with our values.
Because love-driven leadership isn’t soft—it’s strong enough to hold people accountable without destroying the culture you’ve worked so hard to build.
The truth? Betrayal hurts. But how you respond to it is your legacy.
So here’s the question:
👉 Where has trust been broken in your world?
👉 What would it look like to lead through that pain—with courage and love?
Owen
