Trust: Becoming a Strengths Partner

​Trust is a strange, living thing, isn't it? It breathes in the spaces between promises and deliveries, between what’s said and what’s done. It’s nurtured through small actions and gestures, yet it can sometimes feel as elusive as smoke.
 
Why do some clients trust us immediately, while others seem to withhold it forever? What is the alchemy behind trust?
 
Let’s start with a simple ingredient: delivery.

​Trust grows in response to action. When you say you’ll do something and then do it, trust begins to build. But it’s not just about meeting deadlines or ticking boxes—it's the way you do it. Do you commit your energy fully? Do you communicate transparently along the way? Trust is like a delicate plant, and your consistent, steady care for it makes all the difference. The faster you can be relied on to “deliver on doing,” the faster trust begins to bloom.
 
But here’s the thing: delivery alone, while crucial, isn’t the full story. Trust deepens when you shift from simply delivering what is expected to understanding what your client truly needs.
 
This brings us to the idea of becoming a strengths partner. Once you've established a track record of reliable delivery, there’s an opportunity to go beyond what's requested. This is when you can truly hear the unspoken needs, the gaps in your client’s leadership or vision that you can fill with your strengths. It’s about becoming a partner in their success, not just a vendor who completes tasks.
 
When clients feel heard, seen, and understood, they trust you more deeply—because now you’re not just delivering, you’re co-creating with them.
 
Here’s an interesting twist: trust isn’t built in a vacuum. It often arrives in the room before you do, carried in by the weight of your influence—specifically, the influence of whoever recommended you for the job. If the person who referred you has deep trust with the client, that trust extends to you. It’s like having a close friend introduce you to other guests at a party. You become part of the trusted circle before you even say a word. What you do next will either affirm or undermine that inherited trust, but starting with that boost is a privilege that can’t be ignored.
 
So why do some clients trust quickly, while others never seem to find it? For some, the combination of delivery, partnership, and influence opens the door to trust wide and early. For others, past experiences or personal predispositions might make trust a more cautious process. Maybe trust, like love, is ultimately something we must earn in ways we can’t always predict.
 
What we can control is this: doing what we say we’ll do, growing from doing to partnering, and honoring the trust that arrives on the wings of others. Trust, after all, is dynamic, fluid, and always in motion.
 
What do you think? Why do you trust some people right away, while others have to work for it?
 
– Rachel