It’s hard to get anywhere without having people that trust you along the way. Trust is really the bridge between acquaintance and friend. It’s the step that we all say we take, but we often never really take with the people around us.
Whether you’re leading someone or just living in relationships, there are 4 keys to building trust…
Be authentic
People want to know the REAL you. No one trusts who they dont know. If they feel like they’re getting only part of the real you or someone other than the real you, they’ll never trust you. Dont get me wrong, we dont need to know evreyone’s business and dirty laundry in order to trust them, but we do want real personailty.
Be consistent
Who are you? You are what you do consistently. Maybe this is just another element to authenticity, but be consistent. Consistency in behavior, reactions, and ethics goes a long way in building trust. People see through fake and through manipulation because it’s usually inconsistent.
Be passionate
Regardless of what we do, we should do it passionately – sold out! People trust passionate people. Especially in leadership, passion goes a long way in building trust with those that you lead (peers, staff, family, etc). You see, when you and I are passionate about something, we’re less likely to abandon it or drop the ball. People see the passion and believe in you even more.
Be caring
I look around and wonder how many people really care. By caring, I mean they have no agenda, no platform they’re trying to build or no hidden reason for caring for other people. Few people possess this in a culture that is increasingly selfish. People trust those that consistently show they care about them. This is an easy one to see through if it’s not there… People notice if we don’t care about them… They also make careful note when we do.
So, there are my 4 key elements to building trust.
What would you add, take away, or tweak? Let us know in the comments.
Leave a Reply