Trust can be elusive. When someone is seen as being trustworthy, good things happen for that person and with that person. And the reverse can also be true; mistrust can form an invisible barrier to progress. Same with organizations.
Executive Summary
Executive coach Marsha Egan observes, "It is difficult to trust when there is no track record, no reason to trust. Humans are naturally cautious, and this caution can show up as either neutral or even mistrust in a work environment." Here, she offers some thoughts on how leaders can gain trust and also be more trusting—efforts that may remove invisible barriers to progress.We can all agree that trust is an important component of an organization’s culture. It is inarguable. Every leader will agree that trust is or should be one of the most important values and pillars upon which their success is built.
The sad truth is that while it might take years and numerous tests of trust to validate a person or organization as being trustworthy, trust can be broken with one incident. It is easy to break trust and difficult to make trust.
But the investment return of time, repetition and consistency in being trustworthy for both individuals and organizations is immeasurable. It is a value that needs to be lived and practiced continually. When there is trust, there is acceleration. When there is trust, the handshake is golden. When there is trust, there is positivity. That is why this article is titled “The Power of Trust.”
