Global, all extending mandates are rare. Every endeavor in my experience includes a trusted party; someone who is acting with you or on your behalf that is outside of your control. In the operations I manage, there are trusted parties that perform functions that match the ones our team has a mandate to perform. Outside of work, in developing new ideas, one relies on trusted parties to bring her/his expertise to the table while honoring a commitment of confidentiality.
Wisdom suggests that one should trust and verify. Whatever the outcome might be, the beginning starts with trust. There are obvious questions that always surface. Should I trust this individual? Why? How much should I trust her/him before I take steps and affirmation and confirmation?
There is a struggle at the beginning of every situation. I want to trust. It is a natural reaction born in my desire to embrace hope and opportunity. Even as I remember the outcomes that showed that the parties involved could not be trusted, I long to trust. I find that it is required if one wants to help others reach for more.
Life reminds me that I often forget the lessons of the past. An important component as any conversation begins lies in being open with the other about your actions. A candid conversation of the values one holds opens the door to something greater. It is an old model. Paul’s candid words are an example I would do well to remember. “I’m concerned with right now is that you not use our decision to take advantage of others, depriving them of what is rightly theirs. You know, don’t you, that it’s always been taken for granted that those who work in the Temple live off the proceeds of the Temple, and that those who offer sacrifices at the altar eat their meals from what has been sacrificed?” (1 Corinthians 9.13)
The emerging truth forms with each step. Shared values opens a door to trust. Verified trust opens a door to greater trust. Trusting communities can act with confidence. Greatness follows.
