Want People to Trust You? Do these 10 Things

TRUST is affecting everything in your life:  your leadership, marriage, business, parenting, and legacy.

What are the main areas that make people trust you?

1.  Can you be counted on at crunch time?

Do you show up and execute?  Excuses don’t count in the real world.  If you have become a master at explaining your failure to produce, take a long look in the mirror!

Start earlier.  Put in more thought time.  Set an “artificial deadline” way before it’s due. 

2.  Are your motives and agendas what they appear to be?

You are better off just to tell people what you want up front.  The sneaky, back-door approach to get what you want always hits their nose wrong.

Remember that what you “fail” to tell them is as important as what you DO tell them. 

3.  Are your emotions unpredictable?

Mood swings make you unpredictable.  I know it’s not easy to control your emotions but think of the roller-coaster your friends feel like they are on!

Adopt a routine.  Get up at the same time.  The more you can “nail it” on personal goals the less your emotions control your life…and others.

4.  Are your promises reliable?

Keeping your word can make or break relationships.  Listen to what is coming out of your mouth.  Is it a promise, a guarantee, or an assurance?  Write it down and don’t stop until it is fulfilled.

Believe me, people remember.

5.  Are you the same in public and in private? 

The “stage” changes a lot of people.  Their personality totally changes.  The problem comes for the people who know you “backstage.”

One of my children told me that the reason he is a leader today is that I was always the same person at home as on the platform.  Cut the performance and be real every moment of every day. 

6.  Do you handle money with accuracy?

Expense accounts, credit cards, and time off is where trust happens.  Spend company money with the same attention to detail as you spend your own.  Pay taxes even if it seems impossible to trace.

7.  Do you honor long-term commitments?

Loyalty builds trust.  If you go through relationships like slices of pizza, people begin to wonder, “Am I next?”

Marriage, organizational partnerships and long-term friendships are critical to maintain. 

8.  Do you stay within the boundaries?

Anytime someone asks you to stay within a certain time frame, it is a boundary.  If they ask you to only spend a certain amount of money, it is a boundary.  Don’t have to be told twice.

9.  Does your plan change continually?

Give direction and keep direction.  If those under you cannot trust your direction, they will shut down. 

Don’t come home from every conference and throw out everything you do.  Change gradually.

10. Do you exaggerate your achievements?

Most achievements are exaggerated!  You are better to “under-state” or say nothing at all than to be found to have over-stated.  It’s embarrassing. 

How did you do?  Tackle all 10 areas, shore up your weaknesses, and watch those who follow you become devoted, sacrificial followers!