What Trust Has Taught Me

Trust is something I used to think you earned by being impressive.

Say the right things.

Have the right résumé.

Prove your value quickly.

Be sharp.

Be confident.

Be in control.

Over time, I learned that trust rarely comes from any of that.

The moments where trust was actually built were quieter.

Less polished.

More human.

Trust showed up when I did what I said I would do, even when it was inconvenient. When I followed up without being reminded.

When I owned a mistake instead of explaining it away.

When I chose clarity over cleverness.

I've also learned how fragile trust is.

One misaligned action can outweigh ten good intentions.

People are always watching patterns, not promises.

What surprised me most is that trust is less about competence and more about care.

People trust you when they feel you see them.

When they feel you are not rushing them to an outcome.

When they believe you are being honest, even if the truth is uncomfortable or incomplete.

I've been on both sides of this.

I've trusted people who were not the most qualified in the room, simply because they were consistent and real.

And I've been skeptical of people with perfect credentials who felt rehearsed or self-serving.

Trust is emotional before it is logical.

It lives in tone, timing, and follow through.

It is built in how you listen, not just how you speak.

Today, I think about trust less as something to win and more as something to protect.

Because once someone trusts you, you are holding something valuable.

And if you treat it casually, it does not come back easily.

Consistency.

Honesty.

Respect.

That is what trust has taught me.

Aaron