04 Nov 2025
30m

Wikipedia Cofounder Jimmy Wales on How to Build Trust

Podcast cover

HBR IdeaCast

Trust in business and society is declining, making it harder for leaders to succeed. Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia co-founder and author of "The Seven Rules of Trust," discusses how organizations can build and regain trust both internally and externally. He emphasizes making interactions personal by focusing on individual customer experiences, illustrated by Airbnb's recovery from a trust crisis after a guest's home was trashed. Wales also stresses the importance of a clear, unifying purpose, citing Wikipedia's mission to provide free knowledge, which guides decision-making and prevents mission drift. He also notes that while AI is not currently a threat to Wikipedia, it can be used to improve the quality of information.

Outlines

Part 1: Trust, Business, and Society

Part 2: The Wikipedia Model: Structure and Community

Part 3: Principles of Leadership and Organizational Purpose

Part 4: Transparency, AI, and the Future

Sign in to continue reading, translating and more.

Open full episode in Podwise