Fault Lines
by Richard Roman
Latest episode
After the 2026 Midterms: Why Winning Power Doesn’t Settle Trust
After the 2026 Midterms: Why Winning Power Doesn’t Settle Trust
About this podcast
Fault Lines explores why trust breaks and how to rebuild it in organizations, leadership, communities, and public institutions. Hosted by Richard Roman, PhD, an expert in organizational leadership and trust strategy, the show translates research into actionable playbooks for senior leaders, consultants, and anyone navigating broken trust. Each episode features researchers, executives, and practitioners unpacking what actually works: workplace culture, team dynamics, institutional credibility, and civic trust. New episodes every week. Subscribe and start building trust where it matters most!
Episodes
The newest 20 of 54 episodes
- After the 2026 Midterms: Why Winning Power Doesn’t Settle Trust · 28 min · Episode 54On Tuesday night, a room in Austin erupted, a loser conceded, and Democrats took both chambers of Congress. It was a historic night. It was also only the first of two ledgers. An…
- An October Surprise: "Safest, Brightest, and Best" · 7 min · Episode 53In this short episode, Dr. Richard Roman invites listeners into a reflective space by sharing a poignant poem, "October Journey," by Margaret Walker. Margaret Walker, a notable…
- Trauma-Informed Community Research: Building Trust Beyond Crime Rates · 56 min · Episode 52Too many “helping” systems are built to extract knowledge instead of create change. Keara Cormier-Hill breaks down how trauma-informed, equity-centered research can shift power…
- The Honesty Threshold That Breaks Trust in Universities · 39 min · Episode 51Trust does not collapse because people disagree. It collapses when people believe the truth was hidden. In this episode, Dr. Richard Roman shares findings from his dissertation…
- Why Higher Ed Lost Trust ... and How It Can Win It Back · 56 min · Episode 50Higher education is facing a steep decline in public trust Dr. Kathryn A. E. Enke explains why the problem goes beyond public relations, and what colleges and universities can do…
- Why Faculty Retreat Far Beyond What the Law Requires · 20 min · Episode 49Trust can break long before anyone admits it. The real danger is not only a headline-making ban or complaint; instead, it’s the quiet retreat that follows when people start…
- A PhD Program Doesn't Have to Feel Like a Solo Race · 1 h 1 min · Episode 48The hardest part of a doctorate is not the coursework. It is the moment the cohort disappears, the dissertation begins, and the quiet isolation hits all at once. Madeline Rowe…
- Trust Isn’t Declared. It’s Demonstrated One Interaction at a Time | Solo Episode · 22 min · Episode 47Trust is not something you ask for; it is something you prove, one visible act at a time. Dr. Richard Roman breaks down why the fastest way to rebuild trust in a person, team…
- How Door Knocking Rebuilt Trust in a Depleted Political System · 49 min · Episode 46What if the fastest way to rebuild trust in politics, science, and your community was not to persuade harder, but to listen better? Science policy professional and Boonville…
- When Trust Breaks, What Fills the Vacuum? | A Solo Episode · 17 min · Episode 45Trust is the invisible economy that holds organizations, communities, and even families together, but what happens when it breaks? In this episode, Dr. Richard Roman examines why…
- The 40-Year Shield: How One Law Fractured Trust Between Families and the Healthcare System · 45 min · Episode 44She was told her son would never talk, never live independently, never function without lifelong care. She refused to accept it. In this episode, Tracy Slepcevic, bestselling…
- The Link Between Childhood Money Scripts and Chronic Debt | A Solo Episode · 35 min · Episode 43In this episode of Fault Lines, Dr. Richard Roman explores why financial struggle is often not a knowledge problem, but a trust problem. Through the story of Holly Morphew, who…
- Self-Trust and Mindset are the Missing Pieces in Building Wealth That Lasts | Holly Morphew, Founder of Financial Impact · 44 min · Episode 42Richard sits down with Holly Morphew, accredited financial counselor and founder of Financial Impact, to explore the powerful connection between self-trust, money mindset, and…
- Trust Is Not About Evidence: It's an Act of Imagination and Judgment | A Solo Episode · 31 min · Episode 41In this episode, host Richard Roman explores a powerful idea: trust in organizations is not built by certainty, but by imagination. Building on insights from a prior conversation…
- The Unsettling Truth About Certainty in Victorian Stories and the Illusion of Trust | Rae Greiner, Editor of Victorian Studies · 1 h 8 min · Episode 40Host Richard Roman welcomes Rae Greiner, associate professor and editor of Victorian Studies, to explore how 18th- and 19th-century novels trained readers to think beyond simple…
- The Science of Male Loneliness and Emotional Disconnection | A Solo Episode · 34 min · Episode 39In this episode, Dr. Richard Roman explores a powerful question: what happens when boys grow up without healthy initiation, mentorship, and emotional permission? Building on a…
- Into the Wilderness: Confidence, Initiation, and the Future of Men’s Work | Dan Doty, Co-Founder of Fatherhood Ready · 43 min · Episode 38In this important conversation, Dan Doty shares how wilderness therapy, men’s groups, and rites of passage shaped his life’s work helping boys and men grow into healthier, more…
- What Your Organization's Design Says About Who Truly Belongs There | A Solo Episode · 20 min · Episode 37Most organizational trust strategies overlook the deep structural harm embedded in our systems, until now. What if rebuilding trust requires more than transparency and good…
- How Immigrant Roots Continue to Shape Trust and Resilience Today | Dr. Ayli Carrero Pinedo, Founder of In Alignment Wellness · 46 min · Episode 36Unlock the transformative power of trust in healing, especially when navigating trauma, race, and systemic harm. Dr. Ayli Carrero Pinedo shares a compelling, never-before-told…
- The Radical Shift: From Knowledge to Behavior as the New Competitive Edge in a Trust-Scarce World | A Solo Episode · 27 min · Episode 35In this episode, Richard Roman examines one of the defining questions of the AI era: when does technology actually serve people, and when does it quietly extract from them? Using…
