[오늘의 한문장] Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships, and Being Ridiculously in Charge

When we trust each other in a team, we can be careless as well. We do not worry whether or not the other people on the team have our best interests at heart. We do not worry whether or not they have the shared interests and goals of the team at heart. We do not worry about their character, or about their capacities. We do not have to watch our backs. We believe in them. And we know their track record. As a result, we invest ourselves.

[오늘의 한문장] Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships, and Being Ridiculously in Charge

Said another way, we can trust people to do what they have done in the past. Or another way, the best predictor of the future is the past, unless there is some intervention that has made things different. That is a track record.

If the team is going to trust someone, that person is going to have to build a track record of bringing results in some area. Of performing well in that ability. Of delivering well in what has been promised. Or at least having delivered in ways that would logicallymake sense to trust her in this new way.

[오늘의 한문장] Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships, and Being Ridiculously in Charge

Another factor influencing trust is someone‘s capacity to actually do what we trust him or her to do. Someone can be very connecting and understanding, and have a really good intent toward us, but still not be trustworthy to do something specific because they don‘t have the capacity to pull it off. They are not "bad" for that, but we can‘t entrust certain parts of the mission to them, as they just can‘t pull it off.

[오늘의 한문장] Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships, and Being Ridiculously in Charge

On the other hand, when people exhibit other character attbutes—a willingness to listen, to seek the truth, to persevere, to try to be wise, to take calculated risks, to work for the team over their own interests, sacrificing and serving, to be disciplined, and to be kind and understanding—we trust them. We move toward them and will give more of ourselves to them and want to serve them. We know that it will be worth it. Sacrificing for a person of good character, investing in them, always accomplishes something good, while lots of effort can be wasted on people whose flaws are significant enough to make our investment fruitless.

[오늘의 한문장] Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships, and Being Ridiculously in Charge

"Intent" is key to trust. As I said in the book Integrity, if we know that someone‘s intent is to help us, that they are "for" us, we open ourselves to them. We give to them. We cooperate with them. We invest in them. We share with them. We work, and even die for them. But if they are not "for" us, there are only two other possibilities. They are "for" themselves and neutral to us, or they are actually
"against us.