ABSTRACT
Gossip is a trust buster for many reasons. Talking about other people sends the message that you are not a safe person to talk to and that you can’t be trusted, even if what you say is true and is never repeated beyond the listener. Participating in gossip communicates to people that you are willing to sacrice, or at least risk, someone else’s feelings or well-being for the sake of a good story or a laugh. If people cannot trust you to stay quiet when you hear something interesting or when they tell you something in condence, then when can they trust you? e relationships that are hurt by idle talk can damage your eectiveness as a leader. And once words are uttered, they can’t be taken back. Likewise, once the trust at your school has been damaged by gossip, it is very dicult to rebuild any level of integrity and respect among your teachers.
