A few weeks ago, one of my coworkers at Nuru, Marc, gave me his copy of a book he thought I might find enjoyable. It was called The Trusted Advisor by David Maister. It probably would not have been a book I would have picked up on my own, but I'm always appreciative of a good book recommendation. I had also communicated with Marc my desire to grow in my ability to lead, coach, and develop the talents of others, so I started looking at this book as a potential tool toward that end.
The book, which receives some pretty incredible reviews on Amazon, is a fairly quick read, and filled with personal examples from the author(s) own experiences. The themes of this book are incredibly important and timely in a world that is growing increasingly skeptical of "experts" and those who are in the know. It is a reminder of the Theodore Roosevelt quote, "Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care."
Maister and his fellow authors, Charles Green and Robert Galford walk through the importance of trust and of developing relationships with others as well as the outflow of those relationships over time. It actually brought to mind this short verse from Saul of Tarsus in his letter to the Corinthian church, "Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." Trust is not something that comes in an instant, it comes over time, it comes from faithful practice, and it comes as a result of very real relationships. The authors point out it comes more from learning how to listen well than it does from all that one might have on their mind to say.
Looking to learn more about how to be a better friend, advisor, counselor, coach, or advisor? Take a look at The Trusted Advisor, and learn from its many chapters, examples, and actionable lists. May we each work to cultivate and practice greater trust in our relationships with others.
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