Guest Post from Workplace Relationships Expert Speaker Michelle Tillis Lederman
I talk a lot about first impressions, about building your personal brand, and about how you want to be known. A lot of this starts with that instant assessment someone makes of you. But that is (hopefully) just the beginning of a relationship. If you want to create a lasting connection, what makes the difference is the long-term impression that they have of you.
Your lasting brand is built on the belief that what they know and expect about you is what they get. Relationships are about trust — because trust is the foundation of connection.
In my work I have identified four fundamental aspects of trust:
- Authenticity. – Law #1 in the book; the real you is the best you. Because if you are not bringing the real you, there’s no ability to connect or trust.
- Vulnerability. – Remember, vulnerability is not weakness, it’s openness.
- Transparency. – If you don’t share information, people will come up with their own answers to their questions.
- Consistency. – All of these aspects are great, but they won’t matter unless you act that way on a regular basis.
What is trust to you? Do you have a secret weapon that helps you to build trust in your relationships?
Michelle Tillis Lederman named one of Forbes Top 25 Networking Experts, is the author of three books including The 11 Laws of Likability and Nail the Interview, Land the Job. A certified ICF coach, Michelle founded Executive Essentials which provides custom leadership and communications training and coaching programs. A former finance executive and NYU Professor Michelle is a regular in the media. Appearances include NBC, CBS, Fox, Gayle King, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Working Mother, US News & World Report, Monster.com, USA Today, CNBC, and others. She holds degrees from Lehigh University and Columbia Business School. Do you want to know more about networking and building trust-based business relationships? Learn more about Michelle’s keynote speaking presentations here.
