Posted by Phil Keithahn on Wed, Aug 12, 2009 @ 10:43 AM
Trust. We hear and read that word frequently these days. For many people, the word is almost said with a degree of cynicism, if not disdain. Between Ponzi schemes, white collar crimes, and embezzlement, the word TRUST has almost evolved to the point where we believe that no one can be trusted.
What if we turned the sentence around?
Instead of asking, "Can I trust you?", reverse the sentence. Turn it inside out.
Ask, "Can I be trusted?", or more appropriately, "What actions must I take to demonstrate to you that I am worthy of the trust you place in me?"
I am an Eagle Scout. A Scout is Trustworthy. That's the first of the 12 Scout Laws.
I am a community banker. My entire career has been built upon integrity, which means I continually protect the confidentiality and privacy of my customer's personal and financial data.
And yet, each morning when I arise and tell myself that "This is the beginning of a new day", I also am reminded that everyone, ME included, is but one step away from making a decision or taking an action that is not founded upon TRUST.
It is this ever present awareness of my personal vulnerability to greed and temptation that keeps me ever-vigilant against the false illusion that I can break my vow of trust without anyone finding out.
Just as Scouting teaches young men and women to "be prepared" and to "do a good turn daily", so should we go back to the days of our youth, when parents, teachers, coaches, friends, and mentors held us accountable for our actions.
In a day and age when TRUST seems to have disappeared from the world, maybe we can only begin to trust others again...AFTER we take action to show that we are worthy of trust that we ask others to place in us.
Monty's Message: To rephrase the words of Forrest Gump, "Trust is...as Trust does."