Trust is the glue that holds everything together in relationships. When you believe you can’t trust a person anymore, or tell them you don’t trust them anymore, it’s the beginning of the end of the relationship.

If you have a leadership role at work, or at church, and you hired people you trust, than trust the people you hired.

Dan Rockwell shares some helpful  thoughts for those of us (including myself) who struggle trusting others.

Guest Post by: Dan Rockwell

There is nothing quite so tragic as a young cynic, because it means the person has gone from knowing nothing, to believing nothing. Maya Angelou was raped as a young girl. It’s enough to destroy a person’s life, but she didn’t become cynical. She overcame distrust of people. People who thrive trust people. Everyone lives by faith. Perhaps you trust in a philosophy of life. It might be Stoicism, Epicureanism, Existentialism, Humanism, or Buddhism. Take your pick. You’re trusting in it.

You might say, I live by science. Then you’re trusting in science. Maybe it’s religion. Muslims trust in Muhammad. Jews trust in God. I’m a Christian. We trust in Jesus. If you don’t trust in philosophy, science, or religion then it’s something else. Maybe you trust in education, politics, money, family, reform, experts, or technology.

Leaders trust people:

All leaders have faith in people.

Cynics can’t lead. You might have a title, but you aren’t leading. Cynics can boss but they can’t inspire. Distrustful people can micromanage, but they can’t engage people. You can trust the process, but you can’t lead until you believe in people. Disbelief can set goals and aim for short-term wins, but you must believe in people to build a relationship with them.

4 ways to learn to trust people:

You can’t trust everyone, but you must trust people to lead.

#1. Respect their energy. The things that energize you don’t energize others. Enjoy the difference and find ways to fuel their energy. Anyone can suck the life out of people. Leaders pour gas on fires.

#2. Learn about their past successes. History predicts the future.

#3. Know their strengths and weaknesses. Don’t expect performance from weakness.

#4. Believe they showed up to succeed. Most people don’t show up to screw up. Don’t trust them if they do.

What could any leader do today to learn to trust people?

Dig deeper:

Don’t trust everyone! Read this: 7 Secrets to Spotting People You can Trust

The VIA Assessment helps you learn other’s strengths. To try it out, use the “free” link in the upper right.