According to an earlier report by NJ 101.5 radio Chris Christie said he played by the rules during recent travel. And how exactly does Christie define playing by the rules?
“Everything that I do is cleared by ethics folks before I do it, and yeah I’m completely comfortable with it because I comply with the rules,” he said.
Makes sense, so what’s the problem? After all, it seems Christie broke no rules nor violated any laws.
Simply stated, the “ethics folks” are all attorneys. They are charged with ensuring compliance and nothing more. But what if Christie had posed the same scenario to his invisible “trust” staff. No doubt, their answer would have been quite different.
And therein lies the problem.
The public is demanding something else, something more than just compliance, something meaningful and authentic. Something that shows character and values. Whether it’s politicians, business leaders or sports figures, “playing by the rules” is no longer “enough.”
Visionary leaders build trust into their organization’s DNA through trustworthy leadership. While their “ethics folks” are certainly capable of keeping them “legal,” it takes the right kind of leader, surrounded by the right staff, to proactively take the next step toward building stakeholder trust.
Sorry Chris. From one LHS grad to another I like you, but you’re not getting what it takes to differentiate yourself from your colleagues. The good news is, you have lots of company that doesn’t either.
And fortunately, it’s never too late to start building trust.
Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She runs the world’s largest membership program for those interested in learning more, and is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.
Our 2015 Poster, 52 Weeks of Activities to Increase Organizational Trust is available to those who would like to support our work by making a small donation.
Copyright 2015, Next Decade, Inc.
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