Trust is earned, and recognizing that it takes time is vital. It’s important to me that clients feel that I am honest and respectful. Things might go wrong, but how you handle the situation can always be controlled.
—Amanda Signorelli, CEO, Techweek
I have a no-nonsense policy that I believe has earned me trust (and respect) from a lot of my colleagues and peers. I never oversell, always try to under-promise and over-deliver, and let honesty be my default setting. I think people are pretty intuitive and can sense nonsense, which immediately leads to invalidation.
—Howie Diamond, managing director, Ranch Ventures
It all comes down to authenticity. I am candid and a natural sharer. When you’re open to others and willing to put yourself out there, I believe it comes back to you. My business partner and I have been friends for more than 20 years, so we have an unspoken language. We intuit each other’s moods and know how to respond to one another in a way that enables strong communication.
—Karen Robinovitz, co-founder and co-CEO of Digital Brand Architects
I do my best to know who they are beforehand and really see how other people perceive them. From there, trusting someone is easier for me. Every day, I try to see if whatever they claim to be is really who they are and not just something they pretend to be.
—Daisy Jing, founder of Banish
I think that one must be truthful and up front with people, while also placing importance on delivering against your commitments. Trust has to be earned and once diminished, it is likely never regained.
—George Batton, chief financial officer of FreshDirect
Related: 8 Tried-and-True Steps to Building Trust
This article originally appeared in the July 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.