Leaders in today's world face the challenge of earning the trust and commitment of organizational
members if they expect to guide their companies to success in a highly competitive global context. In this
article, we present empirical results indicating that when leadership behaviors are perceived as trustworthy
through the observer's mediating lens, trust increases and leaders are more likely to be viewed as ethical
stewards who honor a higher level of duties. This article contributes to the growing body of literature about
the importance of ethical stewardship in the trust relationship. ?? 2010 Springer Science+Business Media
B.V.
