The 2013 edition of the annual Edelman Trust Barometer found "a very significant crisis of leadership, " said Richard Edelman, president and CEO of Chicago-based public relations firm Edelman.

NPR: Public Trust In Government, Business Leaders Falls

More than four in five of the general public would expect a business leader to lie when confronted with a difficult issue, according to the PR firm's trust barometer.

BBC: Davos 2013: Leaders fail to inspire trust

However, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer, trust in business is still tenuous, with nearly 70% of respondents saying that business and financial companies will revert to old habits when the financial crisis is over.

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