Trust Connects Us
Trust — the Tender Tissue that Connects People, Systems, & Societies
Image by Joel Muniz from Unsplash
It’s difficult to quantify the importance of trust in business and in our personal and professional lives. Trust takes time — years of investment to develop, but only moments to lose. Trust is capital. It is the tissue that connects all transactions, and all personal and professional relationships. Trust binds the basic tenets of every society.
Being worthy of trust is essential to leadership. What does it mean to be trustworthy? A trustworthy person shows concern for others, is reliable, and exhibits consistent behavior and language regardless of the situation.
Choosing to trust is also essential to leadership. When people choose to trust, they are making a decision that is based on many factors. Willingness to trust is tied to the truster’s risk tolerance. In addition, willingness to trust is tied to the truster’s penchant to operate from a position that, in the absence of a glaring red flag, things will work out. Trusting another person is effected too by the level of power one holds in a particular situation. In the June 2020 edition of the Harvard Business Review, Professors Frances Frei and Anne Morriss note three core traits that drive people to trust — authenticity, logic, and empathy.
Authenticity — People tend to trust when they believe they are interacting with an authentic person — the real you.
Logic — People trust when they believe they can rely on a person’s competence and measured judgement.
Empathy — People trust when they believe someone looks out for them and will protect, defend, or help them.
Image by Thought Catalog from Unsplash
Trust is a measure of regard and relationship between people, between groups, between organizations and societies. What to do to cultivate trust?
Align your actions with your stated priorities.
Think before you speak, and once you speak, align actions with words.
Be judicious with language and commitments, and do what you say you will do.
People trust what and who is clear. They have confidence in those who care about conditions, issues, and people beyond themselves. People put faith in those who do what is right over what’s easy.
Trust is fundamental to genuine success of any kind. The bottom line? Cultivate your character and invest in the people around you by being worthy of trust and by choosing to trust when appropriate. Be judicious with your words and commitments, align your actions with your words, and be a person who shows up and follows-through.