Good morning, Team! It (’ll soon be) Friday before Labor Day weekend!

I’ve been reading “Speed of Trust” by Stephen M. R. Covey, son of the guy you’re thinking of. Each of us has our own internal definition of what trust is but I like the way (younger) Covey puts it,

“Trust is a function of two things: character and competence. Character includes your integrity, your motive, your intent with people. Competence includes your capabilities, your skills, your results, your track record. And both are vital.”

In my opinion-

To trust someone implicitly in a professional setting is foolish. As President Adams once said of his successor, President Jefferson, 

“I do not believe that Mr. Jefferson ever hated me. On the contrary, I believe he always liked me…Then he wished to be President of the United States, and I stood in his way. So he did everything he could to pull me down.” 

Jefferson being Adams’ Vice President, one might have expected different behavior. Adams eventually found a way to forgive Jefferson although he felt he had been disloyal, extremely partisan and politically ambitious. The two remained friends until they died.

To trust someone implicitly on a personal level is the basis of a genuine and mature relationship. Those worthy of implicit trust in our lives are extremely rare; spouse, parents, children…adult children that is. While this sounds jaded on the surface, implicit trust takes place when there aren’t rational reasons to do so. (Your ass is hanging out there) and if you survive one or two miscalculations in life, you’ll be hyper-focused on those rational reasons from that point forward. Trust me.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric