In an age of cynicism and irony, Northwestern Mutual is a throwback to a more innocent time. The company is the antithesis of “cool.” It has the kind of culture in which people embrace plain suits and sincere handshakes. It’s the very portrait of wholesomeness and earnestness. There’s no place for hipster lingo, inside jokes about customers, snarky tweets.

Oh, and Northwestern Mutual has been in business for over 157 years and is worth $25 billion in sales. It might not be hip to be square, but Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard says it’s very good for business.

“Mocking irony, snark, and cynicism are very much in vogue, but they are also toxic to your company’s culture,” says Karlgaard, author of The Soft Edge: Where Great Companies Find Lasting Success. “Once cynicism gets a foothold in your culture, it spreads—just like an ill-advised tweet or blog post. You need to proactively fight it.”

Most of us can agree that cynicism is ugly. It trivializes the gravity of bad behavior and normalizes superior attitudes toward customers and, often, coworkers. But Karlgaard insists that widespread cynicism is also a red flag that something is seriously awry in your company. And that “something” centers on trust.

The example of Northwestern Mutual makes it clear: Building trust is not just a nice thing to do. It’s a strategic thing to do. The good news is you can tap into the strategic power of trust by consciously shifting your company’s culture. Here’s how:

Know that trust has two dimensions: external and internal.
First, there’s the external trust between an organization and its customers: Will a company stand behind its products? If something goes wrong, will they do the right thing? The second dimension is the internal trust between employees, managers, and top-level management. Do leaders keep their promises? Can employees speak up without censure? Do people have each other’s back (or stab them in it)? Generally, what’s true externally is also true internally.

Get clear on what a culture of trust and earnestness looks like.
No doubt your employees have (probably very strong) opinions on trust within your company and where they’d like to see improvements. Hold a company-wide summit where everyone can share those opinions and include an anonymous component like a suggestion box or survey. Get everyone’s input, from the C-suite to the custodian. Your goal should be to pin down exactly how a culture of trust translates to leader and employee behaviors.

Then, get the “rules” in writing.
Put the results of your trust summit in writing and ask all employees to sign this document. It should spell out actions like, “I will not badmouth customers,” or, “If I have something to say to an employee, I’ll say it to their face.” Some companies have even gone so far as to prohibit blind cc’ing in order to promote a culture of trust.

“Of course you can’t simply outlaw cynicism and snark or talking behind someone’s back,” Karlgaard points out. “Trust can thrive only when employees are treated like the self-respecting adults that they are. However, you can ‘formalize’ values and ask people to abide by them. That’s the need these contracts serve. Creating an official ‘standards of behavior’ document helps crystallize the attitude you’re hoping to cultivate.”

Let only “Boy Scouts” lead.(And Girl Scouts too, of course!)
People will emulate leader behavior, whether it’s good or bad. It’s just human nature. Leaders who roll their eyes when a certain customer calls are giving permission for employees to be similarly disrespectful. Complain about your boss in the break room and you can expect to overhear your own team making fun of you as you approach the water cooler. The key is to hire and promote leaders who truly do live the values your company espouses.

Never lie or hide the truth.
There are many things you’re thrilled to share with your employees. “Our customer satisfaction scores are 15 per cent higher this year!” Or, “Our first quarter profits exceeded our goal!” Yet there are other things you might not be so eager to share, like, “We’re going to have to downsize,” or, “There aren’t going to be any raises this year…and by the way, we may have to reduce your benefits.” Tell them anyway, says Karlgaard.

“Even when the news is bad, people should never feel they’re being kept in the dark,” he insists. “Transparency and trust must coexist.”

Show employees that you care.
When people don’t believe their leaders care about them, not just as workers but as human beings, of course trust can’t thrive. And while it’s true that fake or contrived caring only increases cynicism, genuine caring dissolves it. This means leaders must be “people persons” who stand up for their employees’ best interests and don’t mind showing (appropriate) affection.

Aspire to predictability.
It sounds a little dull, doesn’t it? Most of us want to be known as creative, outside-the-box thinkers. We don’t want to be bound by routine or limited by “the way everyone else does it.” And that’s fine, says Karlgaard—embrace innovation to your heart’s content in areas like product development and marketing campaigns. Just don’t be unpredictable in your behavior, priorities, and values.

Make it safe to speak up.
When your employees make an honest mistake, can they admit it without being scolded and belittled? What about input and ideas? Can they share those things and expect to be taken seriously? Hopefully, the answers to both questions is “yes.” Everyone should feel confident that they can participate in meetings and projects, say what’s on their mind, be respected for their opinions and ideas, and admit mistakes.

Celebrate grit and gumption.
If you want employees to be worker bees—performing the tasks you designate, on a timeline you set—compensate them with paychecks only. But if you want your employees to be partners, you’ve got to reinforce them when they act like partners. In other words, take notice when they display passion and motivation (grit) and initiative and guts (gumption).

“When employees do the things you want them to do—persevering through tough tasks, innovating, taking calculated risks—reward them,” Karlgaard instructs. “A simple thank-you can go a long way. So can public recognition at a meeting or through a company-wide email. And of course perks like ‘free’ vacation time or bonuses are always welcome. The point is, notice and celebrate the behaviors you want more of.

Constantly drive home the “meaning” of the work people do.
One of the best methods to increase trust is to identify your greater purpose, your “true north,” as Karlgaard calls it. Why do you exist? What meaningful value do you offer to employees, customers, or society? A great purpose should be aspirational, not merely financial. It should create a common cause and promote a collective effort. It should answer all the tough questions of why: Why commit? Why persist? And, most important, why trust?