As kids growing up in the South, we played in the Woods. The “woods” are the wooded areas we entered to play, build forts, dig foxholes, camp out, explore, and hike. There were trails to follow, trees to climb, thick brush to navigate, fallen trees, bugs, spiders, and snakes. It was a wonderful place for kids to use their imaginations. And every now and then, there was the ultimate find in the woods.
Such a find was a rope swing hanging from a large branch at the top of a steep hill. No one knew who hung the rope, how long it had been there, or if using it was safe. All we knew was we had a swing in the woods, and it was calling us to swing. So what did we do? We swung!
We took turns grabbing the rope one by one and running forward until our feet left the ground. Suddenly, the swinger was high in the air over a deep chasm. It was an exhilarating experience. We did this day after day, and our trust grew with every swing. Until one day…
I grabbed the rope, walked up the hill, and got a running start. As I launched myself, I had no fear. As I reached the pinnacle of my ride, the rope snapped, and suddenly, I was falling toward the hard ground. There was nothing I could do but prepare for impact. With a thud, I hit the ground, popped up to my feet, and started running up the hill. The impact had knocked the breath out of me, and fear seized me with a vengeance. My friends, watching with much astonishment, helped me gain composure and restore calm. But, what could not be restored was the trust in the rope that was broken in the fall.
Trust can be hard to establish and easy to break. It is fragile and grows over time. However, trust is a key component in every relationship and the fuel for all of life. Nothing in life works without it. Everyone needs to know when to give trust, when to withhold it, how to earn it, and how to fix it when it’s broken in life and business.
Doing Good at Work encourages people, engages leaders, and empowers transformation. One of the ways we do this is by helping leaders and the people they lead trust each other. Do you want to be a trustworthy leader and build an organization founded on trust? Click HERE to start a conversation.
REMEMBER: Better People make Better Businesses, and Better Businesses make a Better World.
Serving Together,
Boomer
Dr. Boomer Brown, Ph.D., is the CEO of Doing Good at Work. Doing Good at Work is a 501(c) 3 organization that functions like a business. We desire to “Make People Better” because we know better people make better businesses and better businesses make a better world. Learn more: https://doinggoodatwork.com/