The Trust Recession: Why Experiences Like Kokoda Matter More Than Ever

3 Jul 2026 2:26 PM

One of my strongest reflections from the latest Kokoda trek wasn't about the mountains, the jungle, or even the history.

It was about trust.

Or perhaps more accurately, the growing absence of it.

We live in an age of unprecedented connectivity. We can communicate instantly with people on the other side of the world. We can access more information in seconds than previous generations could access in a lifetime. Artificial intelligence can answer questions, create content, and automate tasks that once required teams of people.

Yet despite all this connectivity, many people feel more disconnected than ever.

What I see increasingly in businesses, communities, sporting clubs, schools, and around campfires, is what I would describe as a trust recession.

People are becoming more cautious about who they follow, what they believe, and where they place their faith.

They are paying closer attention to leadership.

Closer attention to values.

Closer attention to whether words and actions actually align.

The old model of authority—where titles alone commanded respect—is rapidly disappearing.

Today, people want authenticity.

They want consistency.

They want to know that the person standing in front of them genuinely believes what they are saying and lives accordingly.

Trust has become one of the most valuable currencies in modern society.

And like any currency, when confidence declines, people become more selective about where they invest it.

The Cost of Disposable Relationships

Part of the challenge is that many relationships have become increasingly transactional.

Social media gives us thousands of connections but often very little genuine connection.

Technology allows us to communicate constantly while spending less time truly understanding one another.

Many people have never been more visible and yet never felt more unseen.

This creates a paradox.

The more connected we become digitally, the greater our hunger becomes for authentic human experiences.

Experiences where people can be real.

Experiences where trust is earned rather than assumed.

Experiences where character is revealed under pressure.

Why Kokoda Still Matters

This is one of the reasons Kokoda continues to have such a profound impact on people.

The Track strips away many of the things we use to define ourselves.

The jungle doesn't care about your job title.

It doesn't care about your income, qualifications, social media following, or professional status.

When the humidity rises, the climbs become steeper, and fatigue sets in, something interesting happens.

People begin to reveal who they really are.

Leadership becomes visible.

Character becomes visible.

Integrity becomes visible.

The person who quietly helps someone carry their pack.

The person who encourages another when they are struggling.

The person who remains positive when conditions deteriorate.

These moments build trust.

Not because someone talks about values.

Because they demonstrate them.

Trust Is Built Through Shared Hardship

Historically, communities-built trust through shared experiences.

Working together.

Serving together.

Overcoming adversity together.

Many of those opportunities have diminished in modern life.

Yet the human need remains unchanged.

We still want to know who we can rely on.

We still want to belong to something bigger than ourselves.

We still want leaders whose actions match their words.

Activities like Kokoda provide an environment where these qualities naturally emerge.

Not through lectures.

Not through PowerPoint presentations.

But through lived experience.

The Future Belongs to Authentic Leaders

As we move deeper into an era shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, and rapid technological change, uniquely human qualities become more valuable, not less.

Trust.

Empathy.

Integrity.

Humility.

Service.

Authenticity.

These cannot be outsourced to technology.

Nor can they be manufactured through clever marketing.

They must be earned.

The irony is that while technology continues to advance, many of the solutions to our modern challenges remain remarkably old-fashioned.

Spend time together.

Share meaningful experiences.

Serve others.

Keep your word.

Live your values.

Lead by example.

The Kokoda campaign itself was built upon these principles.

The diggers didn't follow one another because of rank alone.

They followed one another because trust had been earned.

Perhaps that is why Kokoda still resonates more than eighty years later.

It reminds us of something many people are searching for today.

Not simply adventure.

Not simply achievement.

But something far more valuable.

Trust.

And in a world experiencing a trust recession, that may be one of the most important lessons of all.