Trust and Competence

From the Forklift…

When we meet new people in this world, they size us up by looking through 2 different lenses – trust and competency.  Can I trust this person and are they capable?  

They say it takes years to build trust with someone. That might be true, but I’d also say it takes just seconds for us to see someone as trustworthy or not.  Why?  Authenticity.  We like and trust people who are real and authentic.

Authenticity cannot be faked.  There are no gimmicks.  It shines through how we dress, how we communicate, and how we carry ourselves.  We can’t try to look perfect, but we can try to be perfectly ourselves.  There is nothing more obvious to an authentic man or woman, than a man or woman who is not authentic.  Be yourself, it’s attractive…even with your scars or weaknesses.

Competency can also not be faked.  There are no shortcuts, no good camouflage to pretend.  To be perceived as competent, we must do the work.  We must actually be competent.  There is nothing more obvious to a man or woman who is competent, than a man or woman pretending to be competent.  

What’s the point?  There are no shortcuts in life that will last long.  We might gain a foot for a minute, but we will lose a mile the next hour.  There is only one way to live life…as ourselves doing the work we love.  Love yourself and be capable. You’ll feel good I promise.

Afterall, most of us think we are really 3 people – We are who we think we are, we are who we think others think we are, and then there’s just who we really are. If you’re trustworthy and competent, those three identities converge into one. You will always be authentic.

 Authenticity is today’s new currency.