--- title: Letter from the editors | Fieldnotes by Catalyst description: Why trust has become a defining leadership imperative for talent, performance, and resilience in an age of AI, disruption, and uncertainty. image: https://pages.catalyst.org/hubfs/FIELDNOTES%20Microsite%20Hero%20Banner-Letter%20from%20editors-2.jpg --- ## [![Fieldnotes by Catalyst](https://pages.catalyst.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Catalyst%20Logos/Fieldnotes-by-catalyst-500x80px.jpg?width=500&height=80&name=Fieldnotes-by-catalyst-500x80px.jpg "Fieldnotes by Catalyst")](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes) [Follow us on Instagram ](https://www.instagram.com/catalystinc/) [Follow us on Facebook ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/catalystinc/) [✕](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/letter-from-the-editors#atbs-offcanvas-primary) ![image](https://pages.catalyst.org/hubfs/FIELDNOTES%20Microsite%20Hero%20Banner-Letter%20from%20editors-2.jpg) Share : - [** ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/letter-from-the-editors) - [** ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+found+this+interesting+blog+post&url=https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/letter-from-the-editors) - [** ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/letter-from-the-editors) Author [![image](https://pages.catalyst.org/hubfs/Fieldnotes%20web_Tuesday-Josh-headshot.png) ** ](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/author/tuesday-hagiwara-josh-baldasare) ### [Tuesday Hagiwara & Josh Baldasare](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/author/tuesday-hagiwara-josh-baldasare) 23 Mar 2026 When we set out to create Fieldnotes, we knew the macro forces reshaping our industries, workforces, and workplaces were putting demands on leaders like never before. To tackle today’s business challenges, we all need to think differently.  The name Fieldnotes was born from our desire to seek illuminating insights beyond the traditional business or inclusion canon. In research, fieldnotes capture the observations of individuals who are immersing themselves in new environments. These notes contain the details others often overlook, enabling them to discover new patterns and make breakthrough connections.  And that’s exactly what we set out to do.   Fieldnotes invites you to look at the challenges your business is facing from a new vantage point. For example, journey with us to observe how [deep-sea cave divers](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/what-can-cave-diving-teach-us-about-leadership) lead in high pressure environments, how [improvisational theatre](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/improv-skills-to-shift-your-mindset) concepts can accelerate innovation, and how we can [design workspaces](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/designing-trust-into-where-we-work) to create psychological safety.   Our inaugural issue investigates the question: What if trust became the new measure of organizational success?  The idea for this first theme was sparked by author and researcher [Zach Mercurio](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/the-skill-shortage-no-one-is-talking-about). As we talked about the newly accepted reality that we’re entering the age of AI, he offered a reframing that stopped us short: “No,” he said. “I think we’re re‑entering the age of human trust.”  With those words lingering, we set out to examine why this moment demands a renewed focus on trust—why it’s under strain, where it’s breaking down, and what it will take for businesses to rebuild it with intention.   This issue is the result of master classes from the likes of trust expert [Sandra Sucher](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/architecture-of-trust), who helped us map the architecture of trust within organizations today; computer science researcher [Gale Lucas](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/miscalibrated-trust-is-enterprise-ais-hidden-risk), who unpacked the importance of calibrating our trust in AI; organizational scientist [Anita Woolley](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/the-science-of-building-teams), who taught us how to unlock the power of collective intelligence in teams; and author [Don Norman](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/creating-humanity-centered-systems), who illuminated the benefits of designing for humanity, not just for humans.  Across these stories, a throughline emerged:  Trust is not a sentiment—it is a performance system. It drives productivity, retention, and transformation.   Catalyst’s 60+ years of research demonstrate the power of inclusion to create trust within the workplace. And when those levers of inclusion are applied intentionally, they become a company's competitive advantage.  Our hope is that Fieldnotes illuminates your path forward in enabling trust throughout your organization.   Thank you for joining us on this journey.   With gratitude,  Tuesday Hagiwara & Josh Smalley Baldasare  ### Download the full magazine ![Tuesday Hagiwara & Josh Baldasare](https://pages.catalyst.org/hubfs/Fieldnotes%20web_Tuesday-Josh-headshot.png) [Tuesday Hagiwara & Josh Baldasare](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/author/tuesday-hagiwara-josh-baldasare) [![image](https://pages.catalyst.org/hubfs/FIELDNOTES%20Web%20Hero_Nine%20actions.jpg)](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/nine-actions-that-create-trust) [ previous ](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/nine-actions-that-create-trust) ### [Nine actions that create trust](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/nine-actions-that-create-trust) 23 Mar 2026 #### Related news [![image](https://pages.catalyst.org/hubfs/FIELDNOTES%20Web%20Hero_Humanity%20centered-light-2.jpg) ](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/creating-humanity-centered-systems) [Resilience](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/tag/resilience) ### [ Creating humanity‑centered systems ](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/creating-humanity-centered-systems) [By Tuesday Hagiwara](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/author/tuesday-hagiwara) March 23 2026 [![image](https://pages.catalyst.org/hubfs/FIELDNOTES%20Microsite%20Web%20Assets%20(3).png) ](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/architecture-of-trust) [Trust](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/tag/trust) ### [ The architecture of trust in business ](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/architecture-of-trust) [By Josh Baldasare](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/author/josh-baldasare) March 23 2026 [![image](https://pages.catalyst.org/hubfs/FIELDNOTES%20Web%20Hero_Science%20of%20building%20teams-light.jpg) ](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/the-science-of-building-teams) [Teamwork](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/tag/teamwork) ### [ The science of building teams ](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/the-science-of-building-teams) [By Tuesday Hagiwara](https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/author/tuesday-hagiwara) March 23 2026 ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Tuesday Hagiwara & Josh Baldasare", "url" : "https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/author/tuesday-hagiwara-josh-baldasare" }, "dateModified" : "2026-03-25T20:28:14.078Z", "datePublished" : "2026-03-23T19:06:03.000Z", "headline" : "Letter from the editors | Fieldnotes by Catalyst", "image" : [ "https://pages.catalyst.org/hubfs/FIELDNOTES%20Microsite%20Hero%20Banner-Letter%20from%20editors-2.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://pages.catalyst.org/fieldnotes/letter-from-the-editors", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://pages.catalyst.org/hubfs/Catalyst%20Logos/Fieldnotes-by-catalyst-500x80px.jpg" } } } ```