Another valuable exercise asks students to consider their experiences with trustworthy and untrustworthy leaders. Students are first asked to picture a leader that was particularly trustworthy – having a particularly strong mix of ability, benevolence, and integrity. In thinking about this leader, students should consider:

1. How did that high level of trustworthiness affect their motivation? 

2. How did that high level of trustworthiness affect their tendency to take risks on the job.

Next, students should picture the opposite sort of leader – an untrustworthy leader with a particularly weak mix of ability, benevolence, and integrity. The same two questions should be considered in reference to that leader, in order to examine how trustworthiness impacts reactions to leadership.