Why Trust Matters More Than Titles
One quiet goal I have these days.
I want to be someone people trust without hesitation.
Not because of a title...not because of a position...
Just because of who I am.
That might sound simple, but the older I get the more I realize how rare that kind of trust actually is.
Most of the world is built around titles.
Vice President...founder...CEO...Executive...
Those things can create authority...they can open doors...they can put your name on the top of an org chart...
But they don't automatically create trust.
Trust gets built a much slower way.
It gets built through consistency...through keeping your word...through telling the truth even when it's uncomfortable...through showing up when things get hard instead of disappearing...
And through the small moments people notice over time.
How you treat people...how you handle pressure...whether your actions match your words...
None of that shows up on a resume...
But it's the part people remember.
I've known plenty of people with impressive titles...some of them were remarkable leaders...some of them weren't.
The difference usually wasn't intelligence or talent...
It was trust.
When someone earns real trust, people stop second guessing their intentions.
They stop wondering what the hidden angle might be...they stop asking themselves if the person is saying what needs to be said or what people want to hear...
Trust removes that noise.
And once that happens, everything gets easier.
Conversations get clearer...decisions get better...relationships get stronger.
The funny thing is most people spend decades chasing titles that eventually disappear.
Companies change...roles end...industries move...business cards get thrown away.
But the way people remember you tends to stick around.
That's why, at this stage in life, my goals feel a little different than they used to.
I don't spend much time thinking about titles anymore.
But I do think about trust...because being someone people trust without hesitation feels like a far better legacy than any job title.
WHAT I'M LISTENING TO
I've been listening to a few long-form interviews lately with people who have built businesses over decades.
What stands out isn't the strategies...it's how often they talk about trust.
Almost like that's the real currency underneath everything else.
WHAT I'M READING
Still reading "Read Your Mind" by Oz Pearlman...fascinating read...
WHAT I'M WATCHING
I am fascinated with shows about "survival" or "post-apocalypse"...watching "Paradise" on Disney, with Chantale...
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Trust is built with consistency.”
Lincoln Chafee
