When Were You Taught About Trust?

By Barbara Brooks Kimmel, Founder Trust Across America-Trust Around the World

Your initial response to the title of this article is probably something like “Trust cannot be taught. It’s something we just take for granted, always assuming it is present.” If you were not taught about trust as a child, you are not alone. And sadly without these trust basics not only are you unqualified for leadership, you also do not possess the skills to teach your children about trust. And this has created a dangerous cycle that repeats itself. Just look at the news headlines or what is happening in your home and your business.

Did you know that trust can be a learned competence?

As Stephen M.R. Covey reminds us ,”It is something that you can get good at, something you can measure and improve, something for which you can “move the needle.” You cannot be an effective leader without trust.

Sadly, mistrust is also a learned behavior. Here’s what the research says.

An infant’s psychosocial development begins with the trust versus mistrust stage according to psychologist Erik Erikson’s theory. Beginning at birth and lasting until your child is around 18 months old, it is the most important period of your child’s life, as it shapes their view of the world as well as their overall personality.

Children raised by consistently unreliable, unpredictable parents who fail to meet these basic needs eventually develop an overall sense of mistrust. Murphy G…