Whole Leaders, Wild Trust

CHAPTER 1A Vision of Trust: From Blueprints to Belief

We are completely dependent on others for most everything. When we face that truth, trust becomes non-negotiable.

The Parable of the Builder

From the time he was child, he loved to build things. Log cabins out of blocks of wood, driftwood forts on the beach, fortresses full of battalions of plastic army men—you name it. He loved to build them. Imaginary worlds where people could live, work, and even fight make-believe wars against armies of bad guys. He loved to build imaginary places where imaginary people could do their thing and do it together. In fact, his mother and father would often watch in wonder from the kitchen window as he would construct complex tunnels in the dirt where his pretend people could live, work and move freely while also feeling protected. He was fascinated by the need for shelter and protection for his pretend friends—not only from the elements, but from bad actors who would threaten their communities. There was something in him that knew that the things he built had to serve the people, and that excited him.

As he got into his 20s, he started to work, and without much surprise, he continued to hone his passion for building into his early adult life. His make-believe buildings and people had become real-life structures where he learned the specifics of his craft—of working with wood and metal and the necessity for understanding architecture and the need for structures to serve those who would ...