Who do you trust?

Jim Stengel is the former CMO of P&G, and he's now a hugely successful author, speaker, coach, consultant, and advisor. He's also the host of the brilliant CMO Podcast.

In our conversation, Jim and I started to lay the framework for how we think that leadership is going to have to evolve as the confidence in most institutions, including government, continues to deteriorate.

Being creative on demand is perhaps one of the hardest things that we ask any human being to do. Because every act of creativity requires an emotional leap by its creator.

That's why the best creative thinking usually comes when you have confidence in yourself and trust in the environment around you.

Now, it's impossible for any of us to predict with any certainty what the next four years are going to look like. What's reasonable to expect is that they will not be “normal.” So in these circumstances, it's very likely that some of the people around you are going to feel a lot less safe than they have before. As leaders, creating an environment that people can trust, regardless of what's going on in the world, will be more critical than ever before. And that starts with giving people reasons to trust you.

Establishing trust is a simple equation. Say what you mean, then do what you say, and do it consistently.

So what do you stand for? And what will you stand for when the chips are down, and the pressure is on? Why should people trust you?

Get that right, and I promise you, you'll change your corner of the world for everyone around you.