The Trust Files #1: Why Trust Is the Most Valuable Currency in Business Today

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When I worked in the UK government writing ministerial briefings and speeches, every statement and every piece of data had to be verified. Nothing went unchecked. Everyone took responsibility for the information they provided by signing it off, creating a clear chain of accountability.

It wasn’t always the quickest process, and it was long before the convenience of email and instant messaging. But there was a respect for accuracy, attention to detail and the truth.

That experience has stayed with me throughout my career.

Today, when I work with organisations, I occasionally see leaders trying to cut corners. Often it’s done with the best intentions: to move faster, meet deadlines or reduce costs. But shortcuts create opportunities for misinformation, inconsistency and mistakes. Over time, they erode something far more valuable than efficiency: trust.

Trust is one of the greatest assets a business can have. It attracts talented people, strengthens customer loyalty, builds confidence with partners and investors, and protects an organisation’s reputation when challenges arise. It isn’t a communications campaign or a marketing slogan; it’s a business strategy.

I explore this in my book Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations; trust cannot be manufactured. It is earned through consistent actions, transparent communication, and leaders who do what they say they will do.

The good news is that building trust doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It requires commitment, clear processes and a culture where accountability is everyone’s responsibility. That means putting frameworks in place, encouraging openness and ensuring that people across the organisation understand not only what the business stands for, but how those values are reflected in everyday decisions.

One area that is often overlooked is internal communication. Organisations spend significant time and money communicating with customers yet forget that trust begins with their own people. Employees who understand the organisation’s purpose, values and direction become its most credible ambassadors. Without that internal foundation, external messaging can quickly lose its authenticity.

Trust isn’t built by one department or one leader. It is created collectively, through thousands of decisions and interactions every day.

Because in business today, trust isn’t just a nice-to-have. It is your most valuable currency.

The Trust Files is a monthly series exploring the role of trust in leadership, communications, reputation, and business.

If someone experienced your organisation today, as a customer, employee or partner, what would make them trust you?

The Trust Files: Why am I writing The Trust Files?

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Over the past three decades, I’ve worked across government, global organisations, the private sector and purpose-led businesses. One lesson has remained constant: organisations succeed or fail on trust.

Trust influences reputation, attracts talent, strengthens customer relationships, reassures investors and gives leaders credibility. Yet, despite its importance, it is often treated as something intangible, something that belongs to communications rather than business strategy.

I don’t believe that’s true.

Through The Trust Files, I’ll be exploring how trust is built, how it can be lost and, most importantly, what leaders and organisations can do to earn it every day. Drawing on my own experience, current events and examples from around the world, this series will look beyond headlines to examine why trust has become one of the most valuable assets any organisation can possess.

Because trust isn’t built overnight. It’s earned through the decisions we make, the stories we tell and the actions we take.

Coming next: The Trust Files #1: Why Trust Is the Most Valuable Currency in Business Today.

Communicating India’s Soft Power, 29 May, London

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India has long been one of the world’s greatest cultural influencers, though much of that influence often goes unrecognised! From yoga and spirituality to spices, architecture, paisley print, film, and music, India’s impact on global culture is everywhere.

Remember last year’s “Kolhapuri-gate” when Prada featured the traditional handcrafted Kolhapuri sandal on the runway without acknowledging its Indian roots or the artisans behind it.

So when the organisers behind Ideas for India invited me to moderate a session on Communicating India’s Soft Power, I jumped at the chance.

I’ll be joined by two brilliant minds:

Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar : philanthropist, global ambassador, and businessman, carrying forward one of India’s most storied royal legacies. 77th Custodian of the House of Mewar.

Raageshwari Loomba, award-winning singer with platinum records across pop music and Bollywood, now also a mindfulness author and speaker.

Together, we’ll explore how India can tell its own story to the world, not just through economics and politics, but through culture, creativity, heritage, and values.

India’s soft power has never been lacking…what’s been missing is recognition, ownership, and stronger storytelling. And on that, did you know that Tina Charles’ career was launched by Indian music producer, Biddhu…?!

Book here for Ideas for India

 

Purpose-Driven Communication and Sustainable Branding in Global Markets

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In today’s rapidly evolving global landscape, purpose-driven communication and sustainable branding have become essential for organisations seeking to build trust, credibility, and long-term influence. As the founder of Serendipity PR, I have always believed that communications should go beyond visibility and that it should create meaningful impact.

Businesses today operate in an environment where audiences expect more than traditional marketing. Consumers, investors, and stakeholders increasingly want to understand a company’s values, environmental commitments, and its broader role in society. This shift has made purpose-led communications and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) -focused storytelling central to how organisations connect with global audiences.

Why Purpose-Driven Communication Matters

Purpose-driven communication enables brands to communicate not just what they do, but why they do it. When a company’s mission, actions, and messaging align, it creates authenticity, and authenticity builds trust.

At Serendipity PR, our work focuses on helping organisations clearly articulate their purpose. This means developing strategic communications that highlight genuine commitments to sustainability, social responsibility, and positive change.

Rather than simply adding sustainability language to marketing campaigns, purpose-led branding requires a deeper alignment between business strategy and communications. When done effectively, it strengthens brand reputation, builds credibility, and creates stronger relationships with stakeholders.

Sustainable Branding in a Global Marketplace

Working across international markets has reinforced an important lesson: sustainability and brand purpose must resonate across cultures and regions.

While environmental and social priorities may vary globally, the demand for responsible and transparent organisations is universal. Businesses that integrate sustainability, ESG principles, and responsible leadership into their branding are increasingly recognised as forward-thinking and resilient.

Strategic communications play a crucial role in ensuring that these commitments are communicated clearly and authentically. By tailoring narratives for different audiences while maintaining a consistent global message, organisations can successfully engage stakeholders across markets.

The Role of Strategic PR in ESG and Sustainability

Public relations today sits at the crossroads of brand reputation, sustainability, and corporate purpose. Effective ESG communications help organisations demonstrate accountability while also highlighting their positive contributions.

Through strategic storytelling, businesses can share how they are addressing issues such as:

  • Climate action and environmental responsibility
  • Ethical supply chains
  • Social impact and community engagement
  • Responsible leadership and governance

These narratives not only strengthen brand perception but also inspire wider conversations around positive change.

The Future of Sustainable Communications

Looking ahead, the future of global communications will be defined by transparency, responsibility, and purpose. Organisations that integrate sustainability into their business strategy and communicate it authentically will be best positioned to thrive in an increasingly values-driven marketplace.

For me, communications has always been about storytelling. But the most powerful stories are those rooted in real action and genuine impact.

At Serendipity PR, our mission is to help organisations tell those stories; stories that connect with global audiences, inspire trust, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

 

Photo Credit: https://sustainability-directory.com/ 

What Will Your Legacy Be? Shortlisted for the UK Business Book Awards!

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The Business Book Awards shortlist was announced at a special evening event on  14 April,  and I’m very proud to share that my book, What Will Your Legacy Be?, has been shortlisted in the Change and Sustainability category.

The conversation around the climate crisis and sustainability is shifting quickly, from being sidelined to central. As geopolitical tensions reshape priorities and, in some regions, climate science is being diluted, recognition like this feels especially important.

It’s also fantastic to see my publisher, LID Publishing, shortlisted across leadership, culture, data, and sustainability areas that are increasingly converging in how we define effective business. Seven books in total, and I’m thrilled to be one of them – the LID Seven!

Writing a book is a leap into the unknown; you never quite know how it will be received. Thank you to the 36 global thought leaders who trusted me with their insights and conversations, and to everyone who has supported the book so far​…and those who are yet to read it.

The awards will take place in September.

Insights on Trusting Instincts and Building Resilient Businesses Amid Crises

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Over the years, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned as an entrepreneur is the power of trusting your instincts. In business, we often talk about strategy, data, and planning, and of course, those things matter, but instinct plays an equally vital role in leadership and decision-making.

When I founded my business, I didn’t have a perfect roadmap, and the world was in the midst of the 2008 global recession. However, what I did have was a strong sense of purpose and an ability to listen carefully to people, to opportunities, and to that internal voice that tells you when something feelsright. That instinct has guided many of my decisions, particularly during moments of uncertainty.

Crises have a way of testing every aspect of a business. Economic downturns, shifting markets, and the global pandemic challenged organisations everywhere. For me, these periods reinforced the importance of adaptability, resilience, and calm leadership. Rather than reacting with fear, I focused on clarity and solutions, asking what our clients needed most and how we could continue to deliver meaningful value. During the pandemic, I was working with the Indian and Bangladeshi curry houses across the UK, as the hospitality industry was hit the hardest. We used this time and instincts to pivot and focus on public affairs, lobbying thegovernment on what support the sector needed.

Trusting my instincts didn’t mean ignoring strategy; it meant combining intuition with experience. Years of working with organisations, understanding communication, and navigating complex situations have helped shape my judgement. Sometimes the best decisions came from listening carefully, reading the moment, and having the courage to act decisively. I have found that trusting your instincts makes you braver and bolder.

Building a resilient business is not about avoiding challenges; it’s about learning how to move through them with confidence and integrity. For me, instinctual leadership has been a guiding force, helping transform uncertainty into opportunity and ensuring that even in difficult times, the business continues to grow and thrive.

 

The Cultural & Social Impact of Inclusive CSR Practices Across Diverse Global Communities

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Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has changed dramatically over the years, especially during the global pandemic. What was once often treated as a marketing exercise or philanthropic add-on has become a critical part of how organisations operate, lead, and engage with society. Throughout my career, I have always focused on advocating for CSR practices that are not only responsible but also inclusive and culturally aware.

In my book, CSR Is Not PR, I explore the importance of moving beyond performative corporate messaging and towards genuine responsibility. Businesses today operate across borders, cultures, and communities, and because of this, CSR needs to be rooted in authenticity, cultural understanding, and a real commitment to social impact.

Why Inclusive CSR Matters

One of the key themes in my work is the importance of inclusivity in CSR. When companies expand internationally, they often encounter communities with very different social structures, cultural traditions, and priorities. A one-size-fits-all CSR strategy rarely works.

Organisations need to take the time to understand the communities they are operating in, which means listening to local voices, engaging with community leaders, and recognising the diversity within those communities. Inclusive CSR is about ensuring that initiatives are relevant, respectful, and genuinely beneficial for both parties.

When businesses involve local stakeholders in shaping their initiatives, they build trust and create programmes that are far more impactful and sustainable.

The Role of Cultural Intelligence in CSR

It is also important for companies to develop greater cultural intelligence in their CSR strategies. Cultural awareness is not simply about avoiding mistakes; it is about recognising the richness and diversity of the societies they are interacting with and considering the cultural context of their actions. CSR programmes should reflect local values and social realities rather than imposing external frameworks that may not resonate with communities.

In CSR Is Not PR, I discuss how meaningful CSR requires businesses to move away from superficial branding exercises and instead embed responsibility into the heart of their brand and corporate culture. When companies genuinely understand the local areas in which they operate, their initiatives become far more powerful and effective.

Creating Meaningful Global Impact

CSR has always been about long-term impact. Responsible businesses have the potential to support communities, contribute to social progress, and address global challenges. But this only happens when CSR is approached with authentic commitment.

Over the years, I have worked with organisations to help them think more strategically about their social impact. This includes encouraging transparency, accountability, and sustained engagement with communities rather than short-term campaigns designed primarily for visibility. True CSR requires businesses to ask deeper questions about their role in society and how they can contribute positively to the world around them.

Looking Ahead

As global challenges continue to evolve, the need for responsible corporate leadership has never been greater. I firmly believe that businesses can be powerful forces for good when they embrace inclusive and culturally informed CSR practices.

My work continues to focus on helping organisations understand that responsibility is not simply about reputation. As I explain in CSR Is Not PR, CSR should be embedded in how a company thinks, operates, and engages with the world.

When businesses commit to authenticity, respect cultural diversity, and genuinely collaborate with communities, CSR becomes more than a strategy; it becomes a pathway to lasting social impact.

We Don’t Talk Enough About The Impact Of War On Climate Change

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We don’t talk enough about the impact of war on climate change.

So, let me go straight in and highlight research from the Scientists for Global Responsibility Report in 2021, which found that the world’s militaries are responsible for around 6 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is more than aviation and shipping combined. The crisis feeds itself, as the climate-driven resource scarcity increases the likelihood of conflict.

If the global military were a country, it would rank as the fourth-largest emitter in the world. The US military alone is one of the largest institutional consumers of oil on the planet. And yet, military emissions are rarely front and centre in climate conversations.

We cannot discuss the climate impact of war without first acknowledging its primary and devastating human toll. In Gaza, more than 75,000 people have been killed, with over half of the territory’s buildings destroyed or damaged. In Ukraine, tens of thousands of civilians have died, millions have been displaced, and environmental destruction continues to compound an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

But war does not only take lives. It scars the land.

It strips forests. It poisons soil with heavy metals and toxic residue. It contaminates water sources. Unexploded ordnance and debris render land unusable for decades. Entire ecosystems are disrupted. Biodiversity is erased. Recovery, if it comes at all, takes generations.

The latest escalation involving the US, Israel and Iran is not only geopolitically and economically destabilising, but also environmentally costly. Modern warfare runs on fossil fuels. Fighter jets, naval fleets, armoured vehicles, and supply chains are all carbon-intensive, all largely shielded from scrutiny.

The US military’s carbon footprint is larger than that of many entire nations. Yet historically, military emissions have often been excluded from binding international climate agreements or obscured through limited disclosure. In effect, one of the world’s largest polluters has operated with partial immunity.

At the same time, soaring military budgets drain public funds that could otherwise accelerate climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. Every billion spent on weapons is a billion not spent on renewable energy, flood defences, food security, or climate justice.

We cannot claim to be serious about climate action while ignoring the carbon cost of conflict.

Peace is not only a moral imperative. It is a climate strategy.

And until we recognise that, we are really fighting the wrong war.

Photocredit: Picryl

The New Wuthering Heights Film Got Me Thinking

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The new Wuthering Heights film got me thinking. Directed by Emerald Fennell, it is presented as a bold reinterpretation of Emily Brontë’s novel. But in Fennell’s version, Heathcliff, one of the main characters, has his identity changed. He is now white, played by Jacob Elordi.

In the 1847 novel, Brontë describes Heathcliff as a “dark-skinned gypsy” and even as a “Lascar,” a term used for South Asian sailors at that time. Both descriptions suggest he is a person of colour. That detail is not incidental; it is central to the novel’s themes of class, race, and social exclusion. Heathcliff is not simply an outsider because he is poor or orphaned; he is racialised as different. It shapes how he is treated, how he sees himself, and why his relationship with Catherine is so fraught. Catherine is white and socially ambitious; in that period of British society, relationships that crossed race and class boundaries were not simply frowned upon, they were virtually impossible. The latest series of Bridgerton explores the power of class well.

Yes, I understand the concept of artistic licence. Stories are retold. Perspectives shift. But we are living in sensitive and polarised times. ‘Othering’ is not abstract; it is real and persistent. Ethnic diversity remains a significant challenge, particularly in the media and communications industry, where representation often fails to reflect the wider workforce, and where senior leadership remains disproportionately white and privileged.

There is also a strong intersection between ethnicity and class, something Brontë instinctively understood. Research by Creative Access and FleishmanHillard UK in 2024 found that 73 percent of working-class respondents in the creative sector feel there is a lack of senior representation. Among Black and Asian respondents, that figure rises to over 80 percent. That is not a marginal issue; it points to a structural imbalance.

When we remove race from a story that is explicitly shaped by it, we are not being neutral. We are making a choice. And that choice has cultural weight.

Embracing ethnic diversity is not simply a moral gesture; it is a strategic and commercial necessity. Diverse teams are more innovative, more productive, and better able to connect with broader audiences. In a global digital economy where culture travels instantly and scrutiny is constant, authenticity matters more than ever.

We must also challenge deficit narratives. The subtle framing that suggests people from ethnic minority or working-class backgrounds are somehow less complex, less universal, or less commercially viable. This type of thinking seeps into casting decisions, commissioning choices, and leadership pipelines.

We need to stop “whitewashing” stories that were never white to begin with. We need different voices around the creative table and not as a tick-box exercise, but as genuine contributors with the power to influence decisions. Because I suspect that if Fennell’s team had been more socioeconomically and ethnically diverse, someone would have paused and asked a simple but important question: What does it mean to erase the very difference that drives this story? Reinterpretation should deepen meaning, not dilute it.

Photocredit: Wikipedia

Behind The Scenes When PM Blair Spoke To The WI

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File:Tony Blair (2010).jpg - Wikimedia Commons

A Guardian article published on 30 December brought the moment straight back to me, when, as Head of PR for the WI, I helped advise No.10 on the themes for Tony Blair’s WI speech. This story has been resurrected via files released at the UK’s National Archives in December 2025, and since then it has had a bit of public discourse, particularly from those connected to the story, taking trips down memory lane. To help join the dots, my last name was ‘Haindl’ at that time.

When the Chairman, General Secretary, Head of Public Affairs and I met, No. 10, we grounded our recommendations in what WI members genuinely cared about – sustainability, the countryside, and Fairtrade. All areas where the organisation had long-standing credibility and lived experience. We could see where the risks were and said so. But we were ignored.

What happened became a lesson in leadership communications for Number 10, with the main takeaway being learning to listen to the people who know the audience.

What isn’t really reflected in the article is what happened afterwards…

After the speech, things moved very quickly. Because No.10 had invited the media in such numbers, the story travelled far beyond the room and the WI, unexpectedly, was at the centre of it. Overnight, I went from advising quietly in the background to helping steady the narrative on live programmes and newsroom panels, even finding myself on the front page of the Evening Standard.

What I remember most is not the headlines, but the feeling of having to steady things for members and colleagues while the news cycle accelerated around us. Interviews, phone calls, camera crews, all while making sure the WI’s voice stayed calm, grounded and authentic.

It was one of the first times I saw up close how fast a moment can become a narrative. It was intense (there were some very funny and bizarre moments too) and a reminder that when events escalate, calm communication and clarity of purpose really matter.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons