Andy Stanley on Trust vs. Suspicion
Today I discovered Andy Stanley’s leadership podcast and was very challenged by his talk on “Trust vs. Suspicion”. (Listen here) It was satisfying to hear someone eloquently explain how so many organizations go wrong in this area and how they can do better. As you read this or listen to his podcast, keep in mind that he is talking about trusting others in spite of innocent mistakes they make, not in spite of malicious behavior.
Here is some of what he said…
Three commitments we need to make:
- I commit to do what I say I’ll do, and when I don’t, I’ll tell you. (In other words, you won’t hear it from anybody else before you hear it from me.)
- I commit not to over-promise and under-deliver, but it if looks like that’s where things are headed, I’ll tell you.
- If you confront me about the [trust] gaps I’ve created, I’ll tell you the truth.
Some other great quotes:
- “Being trustworthy is not the equivalent of being flawless.”
- “A trustworthy person addresses the gaps they have created.”
- “Where’s there no trust, it’s hard to leverage the gifts, talents, and abilities of the other people on the team.”
- “Trust creates in own momentum in an organization.” (In other words, build an atmosphere of trust by being trusting.)
- “When we don’t trust, people tend to live up to that low expectation.”
- “Our response to people who mess up…is determined not so much by the nature of what they’ve done but by the personal maturity and security of the leader.”
This was a great podcast from Andy; I can’t wait to hear more!
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