Trust - The Organizational Glue

My educational background is diverse.  An undergraduate degree in organizational management.  A master's in Christian counseling.  I've studied these subjects extensively, spent hours listening to people who represent these disciplines well, and have great affinity for both specialties. 

They might seem like polar opposites. 

But I think they end up going hand in hand.

Character Trumps Competence, writes Dr. Tim Irwin {Christian Counseling Today, Vol. 17, No. 4}.  Irwin's a corporate psychologist who's consulted with this country's top corporations.  He's got two doctorates and speaks extensively.  In short, he's at the top of his field. 

Yet his premise is simple and direct.

And his thoughts give credence to my strong belief that there can and should be a vibrant marriage between the world of effective organizational management and an emphasis on healthy, respectful relationships. 

Irwin states, "The glue for any organization, regardless of the size or type, is trust.  When people trust each other, it's incredible what they can accomplish. When there's an absence of trust, the organization is often very dysfunctional.  Trust is a function of two characteristics in the leader.


One is competence.  Leaders have to be competent.  They've got to know what they're doing.  They've got to be effective ... to do the right things as a leader.

But, ultimately, it's about character.  When leaders are authentic, humble, courageous, and effectively self-managed, then people will listen to what they have to say. 

Those are the things that ultimately determine the effectiveness of a leader ... when one or more of those four qualities is absent, that leader often fails ... regardless of his or her level of competence."

No matter what kind of organization you lead or serve in, no matter what role you play,  it's not about hard-earned diplomas, corporate philosophies, or business savvy.  In the end it's all about relationships.  Being trustworthy.  Humbly authentic.  And genuinely committed to the well-being of others more than our own agendas, hidden or otherwise. 

The Apostle Paul said it well - "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" {Ephesians 4:29}.

You can have all the executive training you can get your hands on, but the bottom line is this - if you don't do relationships well and if you run over people to get to where you want to go, people will not trust you. 

And if you are not trustworthy, I can guarantee that before long, you'll look around ... and find that no one is following you. 

When we finally stand before God, I really don't think He's going to ask us about the size of our organizations or the amount of money in the till.  Our fancy resumes and grand accomplishments will fade to a distant memory.  I believe that what He'll be interested in is this - did you love well? 

Read 1 John 3 & 4.

Linda