Should I trust the new partner with the Donaldson Account?
Should I trust the Alpha Company Commander with this mission?
Should I trust my son with the car tonight?
Executives, coaches, parents, and other leaders face decisions like this every day. Once leaders decide they want to trust someone, they all wrestle with the same question:
How much should I trust?
There is no universal answer to that question since every situation is unique. However, there is a general answer that’s helpful in guiding us toward wise trust. It aligns with both the trust literature and my practical experience. Here it is:
You should trust enough that you’d take a hit if they failed—but not so much of a hit that you couldn’t absorb it.
Let’s break it down:
- Be Ready to Take a Hit. Trust is inherently risky. By definition it involves making yourself vulnerable to someone else. If nothing is on the line for you, then you aren’t really trusting. The greater the risk, the more trust is required. Therefore, to get the full effects of wise trust, you must push past your comfort zone.
- But Not Too Much. Wise Trust involves calculated risk-taking, not gambling. Mitigate risk with constraints that limit possible losses to acceptable levels. Losses might be measured in time, money, relationships, data, reputation, etc. Remember, emotional trust risks emotional losses, while functional trust risks functional losses.
- Learn & Repeat. Whatever the outcome, take a moment to learn from it, make adjustments, then go again. Adapt your level of risk/trust accordingly and move forward.
Trusting others is truly not for the faint of heart. You won’t get it right every time. You will fail. Others will fail you. But if you manage your risk along the way, your efforts will ultimately generate trustworthiness in those around you.
For Reflection: Whom could you stand to trust a little more?
