[March 15, 2015] … and keep it. A trend that I observed while in the military for nearly four decades was that the trust military members have for each another was declining. How to establish trust and keep it was always a concern because without it we had nothing.
With major U.S. elections scheduled next year, those wanting a chance for a successful political run have been jockeying for positions that, more than anything else, show that they can be trusted. Yet, the decreasing trust we all have in each other is having a profound effect on our personal relationships, workplace productivity, and moral standing.
Trust is the moral foundation on which cultures are built. It is a necessary product of people who can work toward achieving a goal greater than them. Without trust, only chaos, hate, and destruction remains.
“Trust comes by foot and leaves by horseback.” – Johan Thorbecke, Dutch politician1
Literature is full of advice on how to gain and maintain trust. Here is my personal touch to that discussion:
- Eradicate ambiguity – be clear in what you do and why you do it
- Be consistent in your behavior
- Play by the rules
- Make promises and keep them
- Show your commitment to people – take care of them
- Avoid hidden agendas
- Possess the courage to stand up for what is right
- Show humility in your actions
There were many late night discussions we had on how our military desperately needed to stop the decline and re-establish trust in one another. Interestingly, while in combat we saw an increase in trust we had for one another, our leadership, and the military institution. Sadly, it was not a trend that held. As we have all seen, the trust in U.S. institutions has been on the downward slide for several decades.2
Currently, the top two contenders for U.S. president each have trust issues. Both Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush have “political baggage” which polarizes many potential voters.3 Political baggage is another way of saying they lack trust of citizens. Over the next year we will get a closer look at how both Clinton and Bush work hard to gain and maintain trust.
Senior leaders who are not conscious of the fragile nature of trust can observe the difficulties encountered by our politicians. This is a daily visible lesson we can all gain valuable lessons.
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[1] There is some controversy over who said it first, but the idea has been around as long as humans had the capacity to form social relationships.[3] http://finance.yahoo.com/news/america-problem-hillary-clinton-jeb-002134388.html
[2] http://www.gallup.com/poll/1597/Confidence-Institutions.aspx