Trust is multidimensional and is key to build all types of relationships between teammates, partners, and oneself. Trust is key to help build the best team, where teammates can have a constructive conflict on each other’s ideas to achieve innovation (Cashman, 2010; Kraemer, 2015). This is because all relationships are built on trust, and it takes just one inauthentic or untrustworthy action to ruin the relationship (Shankman, Allen, Haber-Curran, 2015). Once trustworthiness is lost, it takes time and hard work to regain it. Now, for being the best partner to someone that person must be truly committed to the other person’s success as well as their own while building trust along with mutual respect towards each other’s experience, and working towards long-term collaboration are key (Kraemer, 2015; Shankman et al., 2015). But, trust and belief in oneself are needed to get oneself from a fixed mindset into a growth mindset (Cashman, 2010; Sivers, 2014). Trust is key for a person to be authentic, vulnerable, and personal mastery (Cashman, 2010). Trust in oneself is the first thing that must occur prior to being able and open to trusting others. Trustworthiness attracts other people to believe in and follows their leader (Shankman et al., 2015).
Engender Trust
Cashman (2010) and Shankman et al. (2015) state that engendering trust amongst people is by living authentically to oneself and trusting in oneself. To build up trust in oneself Shankman et al. (2015) suggested to: follow through on your commitments and being open and vulnerable to others by exposing your flaws in a positive way.
I have been following through on my commitments:
- Become an inventor: have one patent and one patent pending.
- Get my doctorate degree: Graduated on June 10, 2017.
- Building subject matter expertise: ITIL Expert Certification in 2016, Greenbelt six sigma in 2014, and Project Management Professional in 2014, etc.
I show my flaws in a positive way:
- I have ADHD, but it allows me to make connections between two seemingly distinct ideas to push forward a new idea.
- Thinking about ADHD has allowed me to think of other people with hidden or visible disabilities, therefore creating systems that have universal design principles.
Not being able to gain full trust on you
When I don’t live authentically when I don’t show people who I really am, and when I live with secrets and vulnerabilities. That is because if people don’t believe in themselves and what they are doing as leaders, then why would their followers (Shankman et al., 2015).
Circumstances on which you are more or less trustworthy
As an introverted person, when I meet a new person, I am not 100% authentic to myself. According to Matthew 7:6:
“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast, ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them, under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
Thus, being vulnerable and authentic to someone else is much easier when I develop a relationship and trust with them. Therefore, for me, it takes time for me to build a relationship of trust with others.
Resources
- Cashman, K. (2010). Leadership from the inside out: Becoming a leader for life. (2nd ed.). San Francisco, Berrett-Koehler Publishing, Inc.
- Kraemer, H. M. J. (2015). Becoming the best. (1st ed.). New Jersey, Wiley.
- Shankman, M. L., Allen, S. J., Haber-Curran, P. (2015). Emotionally Intelligent Leadership: A Guide for Students, (2nd ed.). [Bookshelf Online].
- Sivers, D. (2014). Fixed mindsets vs growth mindset. Retrieved from https://sivers.org/mindset
Dr. Skylar (Sky) Hernandez 