The truth is refreshing. Here’s how Matt Comyn, CEO of CBA is quoted in the AFR this morning, warning that AI would trigger job losses.

“AI will have workforce consequences throughout the economy, and they should be faced directly. This will mean real change for people. At CBA, as in many large organisations, some work will be done by smaller teams.”

In other companies, the future might not be as clear. As a leader, how do you answer, “Is my job safe?” when the truth is uncertain?

“Yes, of course” or “I don’t know” will be called out as bullshit. And silence is never neutral.

And if you are an employee hearing your boss, you factor in the noise around you: Trump’s tariffs, the Iran conflict, three RBA rate rises since February, artificial intelligence and more.

The Roy Morgan Business Confidence (in the future) survey for April 2026 recorded a new low — the lowest reading since the survey began in 2010 — fractionally below the trough of the first full month of COVID lockdowns.

The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer found that 66% of Australians already worry business leaders are lying to them.

Therefore, the danger of a glib answer goes deep. With employees already predisposed to scepticism and possibly looking for a reason to confirm it — “Is my job safe?” is a laden question.

The starting point for every leader should be, that every day you must aim to build trust, the basis of your personal reputation.

Here are the basic tips we’ve learned in 24 years of crisis communications.

The author – Peter Wilkinson

First rule: don’t........

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