Trust Case

Why do you think it is so hard for people to trust others (in particular, leaders)? Under the best circumstances, how long does it take for people to trust new leaders? What are the variables that you have seen from your own experience that may make this time shorter or longer?

When we talk about trust, Merriam-Webster online defines it as, “an assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something in which ones confidence is placed (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trust).” If we look at this definition as provided, we see the key components as to why trust is so hard for people to trust others especially those in leadership positions. Trust entails the key component of “character” that helps an individual build credibility. With “character”, a leader or anyone for that matter is one who tells the truth, who is authentic, who keeps confidences and who accepts responsibility for failures (Malphurs, 57). With these things in mind in reference to trust and the key component of character that builds credibility on the part of the leader or any individual, we ask why is it difficult for us to trust others.

The key for us to trust others lies within ourselves as individuals. We as individuals have a perceived security within ourselves. This security comes from our own perceived perception of our own situations. What I mean by this as Malphurs described within the text, “While we are in our own comfortable world, we feel that we have the knowledge and abilities necessary to control our circumstances and ensure our survival (Malphurs, 52).” This gives each of us a sense of personal safety. But to trust others we must relinquish this sense of personal safety and put it into someone’s control other then our own. “Consequently the amount of control we give our leaders is in direct proportion to how much we trust them (52).

When we talk about building trust,