Buckle up, because today you’re getting something fresh… hot off the presses. Something brand new, but that I have been doing a lot of thinking about. And something that I realize is true with every fiber of my being.
So listen up… because if you get one thing out of this meeting… hell, if you get one thing out of this WEEK… let this be it!
First, something you already know but let’s bring it to the group’s consciousness… networking, at its core… when you distill it all down… is essentially about relationship. The ability — or lack thereof — to get needs met in a mutual way. On both sides, all sides.
Well… the most important aspect of any relationship… ANY relationship, is trust.
Now, again, right out of the gate, that’s not new. It’s not as if you’ve never heard those words strung together before. Of course we have to trust each other. But I’m talking THE MOST… I’m talking about being more important than anything, more important than love.
Love? That’s a bold claim.
C’mon, everything in this life is about love… love makes the world go around. Love saves the day… love, love, love, love, love. Yes, love is amazing. And it’s powerful, and it’s great. But it ain’t more important than trust.
You ready? Let’s give it a very logical test. Follow me here…
Show me a relationship that has trust but no love. (And remember, love comes in many forms. Sure, you can love a family member or romantic partner. But you can love a co-worker, an employee, a customer or client, etc.) I mean love would be nice. It would make it more fun… it would make it better, more motivating. But if you’ve got trust, it’s still floating. That ship sails.
Now show me a relationship that has love but no trust. Is that ship going to float? I don’t think so. I think it will be uncomfortable, maybe even painful, and people will hold on and let go, and hold on and let go. But ultimately, no trust? It might happen quickly or it might take time. But that ship sinks.
And the problem is that people do not always train each other to trust each other. And by the way, I’m not talking about Elevate — we’re great. This is about the world out there. This is about people in general. I’m not saying don’t be mindful of what I’m sharing. But we’re a tight-knit, very engaged group. We follow up. We know how to train each other how to trust us.
But there are people in the world that are training us to go the other way. And hopefully not, but if we’re not careful we might on occasion train others to not trust us, at least not completely.
How do you train someone to trust you? You do what you say. You don’t do what you said you wouldn’t do. You don’t change the rules of the game without giving a heads up to the other players, or recognizing the impact… without taking some ownership. Without saying, “Hey, I need to make this decision, but I understand the discomfort.” Or even trying to offset it if possible.
It’s being a human with another human. It’s making space for someone else’s needs, and it’s operating inside a parameter that you both agreed upon. Obviously the size of those structures will vary based on the size and nature of the relationship, the length of time, the power dynamic, etc.
Now, I could go on all day about this. And frankly, you’ll probably here about it again. Because this is my jam right now. I am just all about this. Trust. Train people to trust you. It’s also the straightest, shortest line to power.
If I show up in integrity, and I do what I say, and I deliver on what I said, and I don’t over promise and under deliver… you’re not just going to trust me. You’re going to feel pretty damn good about me. Right? If I get you results beyond what you had expected.
Trust is everything.
TIE… like a “tie” that binds you in a relationship.
Want a powerful relationship? Create powerful ties.
Trust Is Everything.
