Today, our guest Thinkers convened to discuss trust; how it is gained, how it is lost and what it means to different people all across the world. From China to New York, and from Broome to boardrooms. How do we build trust? How do we learn to trust, and once it’s gone, how do we get it back?
Sherice Jackson, AIME’s Co-CEO for 2019, had to work hard to convince people she was trustworthy as a 21-year-old, sitting in boardrooms and working with AIME’s biggest partners.
Margaret Zhang works globally, but sees the importance of assessing every relationship and every extension of trust as an individual.
In Australia’s Northern Territory, Wayne Blair found that earning the trust of people whose land you are living on can be simple but it takes integrity and follow-through and a willingness to listen.
“There’s a lot of cups of tea and sitting down and saying nothing. It’s just being present with someone.”
In New York, Jack found trust harder to come by.
“People can say to your face we’re definitely going to work together and we’re definitely going to do this and then you walk out of a meeting and there’s no follow through.”
For Rory Stein, Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard and an apartheid era police officer, trust is a product of consistency of character.
And Dr Phil Jauncey sees trust as a practice, from his patients at home to those at the Olympics.
“Don’t wait to feel good to act good. Acting good will make you feel good. I always try to act trustingly to people. The more I act trustingly, the more I feel trust.”
In Aboriginal Australia, trust is at the core of community. For AIME, and for everyone during this time, I can think of nothing more important for us to strive for than trust.
Angus x
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