BCG Boston Partner Cites Gap in Employee Trust of CEOs

Deborah Lovich, a managing director and senior partner in Boston Consulting Group's Boston office, wrote in a Fortune commentary published on October 25, 2026, that nearly 90% of chief executives say they are confident their employees trust their leadership, while only 46% of employees agree.

The figures come from the BCG CEO Insomnia Index, published by the firm in October 2026. Lovich argued that employees decide each day how much effort to give, and that the most important factors are emotional rather than functional. Pay, benefits and flexibility are "table stakes," she said, while feeling respected, supported and connected drives loyalty and performance.

She pointed to Dropbox's "Virtual First" remote-work model, saying the company's internal data showed the share of employees who felt successful at work rose from 48% to 92% after the change.

In a BCG client engagement, frontline managers redesigned shift handover meetings to explain the reasoning behind directions, recognize individual work and encourage peer collaboration, Lovich said. Lovich is the author of a book on employee-centric leadership due from Berrett-Koehler Publishers in November 2026.

This story was first reported by Fortune.