Aditya Kothadiya's Blog

Targeted Audience: Entrepreneurs, Students, Recent Graduates.
 
Background: Renowned leadership expert and author John C. Maxwell describes how anyone can improve his or her relationship skills with 25 principles in his book Winning With People.
 
I plan to cover each of his principle in this series.  Please read more principles here: Winning With People. 

John Maxwell’s “The Bedrock Principle“

Developing trust is like constructing a building. It takes time, and it must be done one piece at a time. As in construction, it’s much quicker and easier to tear something down than it is to build it up. But if the foundation is strong, there is a good chance that what is built upon it will stand. If you desire to build your trustworthiness — and as a result, your relationships — remember:

Trust begins with yourself. If you are not honest with yourself, you will not be capable of honesty with others. Self-deception is the enemy of relationships.

Trust cannot be compartmentalized. Many people today try to compartmentalize their lives. They believe that they can cut corners or compromise their values in one area of life and it won’t affect another area. But character doesn’t work that way. And neither does trust.

Trust works like a bank account. Mike Abrashoff, author of It’s Your Ship, states, “Trust is like a bank account — you have got to keep making deposits if you want it to grow. On occasion, things will go wrong, and you will have to make a withdrawal. Meanwhile, it is sitting in the bank earning interest.”

This is a solid advice for all young entrepreneurs and students who want to lead people and achieve something big in their career. In his book, On Becoming a Leader, Warren Bennis says,

Integrity is the basis of trust, which is not so much an ingredient of leadership as it is a product. It is the one quality that cannot be  acquired, but must be earned. It is given by co-workers and followers, and without it, the leader can’t function.

That can be said not only of leaders and followers, but also of all relationships. Think any successful relationship between husband & wife, between startup co-founders, or simply between friends – trust is the ultimate driver of all these successful relationships.

Philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson said,

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not
the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual
inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else
believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.

Why
do many personal and business relationships fall apart? The reasons for
such breakdowns are many, but the cause that outweighs all others is broken trust.

I wish you have a trustful week ahead!

Related Articles:
Winning With People #11 – The Confrontation Principle
Winning With People #10 – The Number 10 Principle

Winning With People #9 – The Charisma Principle 

To read more principles from this series, please visit: Winning With People.