Whole Leaders, Wild Trust

CHAPTER 6The Chemistry of Trust: The Formula Behind the Feeling

Trust isn’t a leap in the dark—it’s a step in the light. And when we have the courage to name it, measure it, and build it together, we stop hoping for change and start leading it.

During a conversation in 1987 between President Ronald Reagan of the United States and Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, President Reagan said,

“The Soviet Union and the United States have a long history of arms control agreements, and we have learned that it is important to trust each other—and we do—but also to verify. You always say that, Mr. President. You say, ‘Trust, but verify.’” Gorbachev, smiling, responded: “You repeat that at every meeting.” And Reagan replied: “I like it.” (Reagan 1987)

Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev saw something important. They knew that their relationship must be built on a mutual knowing of one another—a kindredness and even a brotherhood of shared understanding. But trust required more. Each of them understood that trust requires evidence, discernment, and wisdom, and not simply blind belief in each other. We should never measure trust in each other for the sake of proving us to be untrustworthy, but it would be unwise to fail to verify our progress forward.

I’ll never forget the CEO sitting in the front row at a recent speaking engagement. As I was describing our unending need for trust and introducing the audience to our work measuring and building it at the personal, team, and organizational ...