“To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.” ~ George MacDonald, Scottish author, poet and Christian minister.
If you’re not so sure MacDonald is correct, take a moment to think of a handful of those people that you love dearly and ask yourself, “Do I completely trust them in all facets of the word trust?” And, there you have it, trust is a greater compliment than love. But how does one become trusted or why are they not trusted, outside of the obvious?
Here’s where vulnerability and imperfection come in. We love to project unreasonable stregnth and perfection, which is so important, especially as a leader, but that is not where human connections are made—we relate and bond through our imperfections. You see the conundrum here, right? Vulnerable leaders inspire more people because they’re courageous enough to share their imperfections, which in turn, breeds trust. Most leaders get this all wrong because they are too afraid to show an imperfection or lack of strength, but that’s the secret sauce to trust! That’s what leaders are looking for, yet strength and perfection repel trust like two magnets pointed at each other.
“People follow leaders by choice. Without trust, at best you get compliance.” –Jesse Lyn Stoner, author of Full Steam Ahead
Today we get to think about trust through the eyes of vulnerability and imperfection. There can be no genuine human connection without vulnerability, and no vulnerability without imperfection. Perfection and strength seemed like the right traits to project so we can exude what we believe a leader should be, but maybe we got it all wrong. Who knew that vulnerability and imperfection would be the way to people’s hearts?
Let’s GO! WE GOT THIS!
P.S. Sign up for my Virtual Goal Setting Workshop — Tuesday January 25th from 6-8. Make 2022 the year you achieve ALL of your goals! www.bethfitzgerald.com
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