I remain uncertain if any of us quite appreciate the importance of trust. We retain the unconscious position that trust is black and white with others while an ever expanding gray area in ourselves. Trust webinars, books, and conferences prevail upon us at an increasing rate when the need for trust in those particularly in top roles continues to reign elusive beyond lip service.

In the Ben Affleck Movie, The Company Men,” the former vice-president is told the now permanently laid-off employees were treated according to the law. Tommy Lee Jones (VP) says, I thought we were aiming for something higher. Trust is a pursuit that must be tenacious. Here are a few quotes I read often to remind me to be the man in the mirror. I’d love to have your feedback on any I may have missed.

1. “Conviction, commitment, credibility: the three pillars of morally courageous leadership.” – GENERAL JOHN MICHEL

2. “The real test of leadership is to be as authentic at home as we pretend to be at work.” Jim Woods

3. “It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.” – NAPOLEON HILL

4. “Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people.” – BARBARA BUSH

5. “The best thing you can do to help others take responsibility is to authentically practice the behaviors that you want others to practice.” – DR. MICHELLE REINA

6. “Do the right thing. Always.” – TED COINÉ

7. “I wouldn’t ask anyone to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.” – INDRA NOOYI

8. “Don’t be afraid to show your vulnerability. Be transparent with your team, even when the truth may be unpopular or inconvenient.” – BILL GEORGE

9. It takes a great man to be a good listener.” – CALVIN COOLIDGE

10. “The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.” – MOTHER TERESA

11. “We fail when we deem leadership at work to be more important than leadership at home.” Jim Woods

12. “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” – OSCAR WILDE

13. “When you’re surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible.” – HOWARD SCHULTZ

14. “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” – THEODORE ROOSEVELT

15. “It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself.” – ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

16. “Authenticity is the alignment of head, mouth, heart, and feet – thinking, saying, feeling, and doing the same thing – consistently.” – LANCE SECRETAN

17. “He who does not trust enough, will not be trusted.” – LAO TZU

18. “The ethical leader we are at home will matter more in the eternities than the false glow of platitudes attached to title.” Jim Woods

19. “One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” – BRYANT MCGILL

20. “The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him.” – HENRY L. STIMSON

21. “Be sure you put your feet in the right place. Then stand firm.” – ABRAHAM LINCOLN

22. “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” – OPRAH WINFREY

23. “Trust is the lubrication that makes it possible for organizations to work.”  – WARREN BENNIS

24. “Success is more permanent when you achieve it without destroying your principles.” – WALTER CRONKITE

25. “To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.” – GEORGE MACDONALD

26. “Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.” – MARIAN ANDERSON

27. “It is true that integrity alone won’t make you a leader, but without integrity you will never be one.” – ZIG ZIGLAR

About Jim Woods

Jim is president and performance coach at Woods Kovalova Group. He has coached for Fortune 1000 companies, U.S. Military, government, small to mid-size business, and education. Jim starts where other coaching programs fall short. He unravels the roots of self-doubt and fear of the unknown. With his wife and partner Lucy Kovalova-Woods, he solves slumps and otherwise inexplicable mental challenges. Clients find themselves more resilient, more confident and more centered professionally and personally. We invite you to schedule an appointment with Jim here.