Trustworthiness

Being trustworthy is not the equivalent of being flawless; it's not about being perfect. Trustworthy means that you are... worthy of trust. You will make mistakes but when those mistakes are made a trustworthy person owns up to them.

If you or I want to gain the trust of others there are some things that we must consistently do. In order to gain your trust, I will commit to do what I promised I would do, and when I don't get it done I will tell you. When I own my mistake and go to the person I let down, I gain more confidence from the individual. If I can't do that, then it becomes more difficult for me to be trusted.

We need to try so very hard to follow through. For instance, if there is a good chance that I won't be able to help you with a project on a certain day at a certain time I will tell you that I can't assist you. The principle here is: I will not over-promise and under-deliver. If I do promise to help you but then discover that I can't deliver on my promise, I will tell you. What am I doing? I'm being trustworthy. If I fail to deliver and I never own up to that failure I've lost your trust.

Let's say I've dropped the ball and made a mistake and you confront me about it. What should I do if I am a trustworthy person? I'm going to tell you the truth. I'm not going to be quick to blame something or someone else, I'm going to respond honestly. 

My ability as a leader to be responsible and trustworthy sets the tone for the rest of those that I lead. When I don't fulfill expectations the best thing I can do is take full responsibility for it and not simply make excuses.