In whom shall we trust?

In whom shall we trust?

Trust has a lot more to do with morals than with ethics.

Can we trust our health care providers?

Can we trust the people we work with?

Can we trust the member of our families?

Can we trust who are in charge of our schools?

Can we trust who are in charge of our churches?

Can we trust the companies that produce our foods?

Can we trust the government that is supposed to protect us?

How many of you can answer yes to all the questions above?

We see a crisis in trust and that is why there is a drought of leaders. Trust is the essence of leadership. Les T. Csorba in his book TRUST – THE ONE THING THAT MAKES OR BREAKS A LEADER, explains the 7 principles for building trust. Here they are:

1.      Trusted leaders are cast from the crucible of their experiences. Think like Mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln, and Andy Grove.

2.      Trusted leaders are modeled by “formal” and “informal” mentors. Think like Jesus Christ, Apostle Paul, and John Newton who wrote “Amazing Grace.”

3.      Trusted leaders live out selfless character. Think like Viktor Frankl, John Wooden, and Orrin Woodward.

4.      Trusted leaders have a sense that they are called to lead. Think like Sir Winston Churchill, George Washington, and Chris Brady.

5.      Trusted leaders handle privilege with great care. Think like Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Ronald Reagan, Dr. Benjamin Carson.

6.      Trusted leaders are tenaciously focused on their objectives. Think like a Sam Walton, Steve Jobs, and Warren Buffett.

7.      Trusted leaders invest in the lives and leadership of followers. Think like Pope John Paul II, Billy Graham, and King David.

Going through each of the principles it is easier to come up with names of many leaders in history. It is more difficult to come up with names of people still living today. It explains the drought of leaders everywhere we look. So what is the solution?  The solution is found in the right education. The basic building blocks of trust come from a classical education; the type of education our founding fathers had. A classical education has more to do with principles and self-discovery and less to do with regurgitating information, facts and figures back to the teachers.  The biblical principles provided our founding fathers with the foundational qualities to create a nation that served as the beacon of freedom for the world for over two centuries. Where there is no trust, there is no freedom. When the government takes God out of everything, government becomes the god. The reversal occurs where man’s laws supersede God’s laws. It should be the other around, shouldn’t it? All of this is happening under our watch. Let’s get educated. Start applying the principles above in our lives, and then we will influence others to take the same path. Why is this so important? Wouldn’t we want to leave a freer nation to our children? God bless.

Will you join my cause to fight mediocrity in the world?

Pass these nuggets on to others.    

We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy