essays – Consulting
Trust
This is a picture of my son as he sets up for a day of video interviews.
I asked him/hired him to help me with this project.
Not just because he’s my son and he probably wouldn’t say “no.”
Because I know he’s really good at what he does.
And I trust him.
𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝘀.
We talk about trust like it’s a grand strategy.
Usually, it’s much smaller.
𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂:
✔ keep commitments.
✔ tell the hard truth.
✔ give credit away.
✔ admit mistakes.
✔ don’t oversell certainty.
✔ show up the same in private and public.
That’s it.
❌ Not charisma.
❌ Not expertise theater.
❌ Not a branded methodology with lots of flowcharts and colored geometric shapes. ➡⬆⬇⬅
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴:
People often trust those who appear most confident.
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁?
That usually belongs to people who are credible, humble, and reliable. (Like my son.)
👉 Competence may open the door.
👀 Character keeps it open.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀? (𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧: 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙅𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙣)
✨ By choosing clarity over complexity.
✨ By choosing honesty over ego.
✨ By choosing consistency over performance.
It may not get me a lot of social media followers, but I’m pretty sure that’s not the point. At least not for me.
Controversial, I know.
𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁? 𝙒𝙝𝙮? 🤔
(c) Michel Hudson