“Rules cannot take the place of character.”
– Alan Greenspan
Randy Watson, who is one of the highest character dudes I have ever known….if every aspect of the word “character” turned me on to a book a few years back. In The Speed of Trust; The One Thing That Changes Everything by Stephen M. R. Covey, this all-important topic, trust, gets probed, explored, developed, expanded upon and magnified from every angle, most importantly, how to establish it, maintain it and build on it.
So, what is this issue of “trust?”
“To use the metaphor of the tree, integrity is the root. Even though it’s underground, and not even visible most of the time, it is absolutely vital to the nourishment, strength, stability and growth of the entire tree.”
– Covey, page 60
Our own integrity is one of the few things that we can completely control. And, to ol’ Al’s point, our sense of integrity isn’t tied to the rules, it’s tied to character – well defined by “what we do when no one is looking.” In an Elliott Spitzer – Bernie Madoff – Jon Corzine – reality TV – led culture, the lines, if we allow them to, could get a bit blurry. But, just as good service in a restaurant stands out, because it’s become so uncommon, by the same token, integrity stands out even more today because it’s (sadly) less common than it used to be.
Trust hangs in the balance. And trust, as the subtitle of the book suggests, is the one thing that changes everything.
With thanks and kudos to Brother Watson, being trustworthy is a great way to make a difference!
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