Trust is an incredibly valuable social commodity. Trust builds credibility that affords us opportunities and privileges that can’t be bought, inherited, or artificially manufactured. It takes time, focus, and hard work to build trust.
Here are 3 tips for building trust and credibility that is real and leads to influence:
- Focus on Quality – People naturally gravitate to those who are genuinely committed to producing quality. This doesn’t mean that everything produced is a “success”. Regardless of results, our commitment to do quality work is what is ultimately communicated. Most people will respect and trust those who live life with this commitment. In a digital age of peer reviews, you won’t be able to BS for too long. Focus on quality and on-going refinement. People won’t care about your work unless you do too!
- Curate Content – You don’t have to be the sole creator of content. We have access to brilliant thinkers around the world. Curating the thoughts of others in your respective field and then sharing them in a meaningful way with your tribe are great ways of building trust and credibility. It shows that you care about your overall industry and that you are smart enough to know that you don’t have all the answers. Gone are the days of centralized organizations that can’t see beyond themselves. As a contributor to your field, you have a responsibility to steward its formation whenever possible.
- Convene Thought-Leaders – Serving your “world” (i.e., industry or passion) through convening thought-leaders is a great way of building trust and credibility. In addition to being the gathering point of great people and ideas, it allows you to stay on the forefront of what’s coming as well as contribute to the shaping of your industry’s future. Convening thought-leaders will not only inspire and spark creativity, it will facilitate new serendipitous relationships and build robust networks.
In closing, keep in mind that these 3 tips are most effective when you do them with a heart to authentically serve others and build relationships. If you’re goal is to simply gain influence and notoriety, you will become manipulative and ultimately unattractive to others.
We need more trustworthy and credible leaders in our world. I hope you will become one of them!
