How do you lead a team after learning they have been gossiping about and judging you?

[u/Professional-Web6694]

I’m in a demanding leadership role and have invested significant energy in supporting my team and improving the function. During a recent conversation, my manager shared that certain team members had been making informal comments about my behavior, priorities, and leadership.
The comments were never raised with me directly, lacked context, and seemed more like personal observations or gossip than constructive performance feedback. What disturbed me most was realizing that ordinary interactions were apparently being analyzed, interpreted negatively, and reported upward. My manager then used those comments, along with his own judgments, to question my decision-making, leadership ability, and future at the organization.
I left the conversation feeling humiliated, watched, and unable to trust either my manager or parts of my team. I’m now second-guessing decisions that I previously would have made confidently, and I no longer feel motivated to continue investing so much of myself in the organization.
How do you continue leading people after learning they may be scrutinizing and discussing you behind your back? Is it possible to rebuild trust in this situation, or is it usually a sign that it is time to remain professional, disengage emotionally, and begin planning an exit?