How knowledge and goodness create trust

Many ask why I give away my AI frameworks, methods, and experiences so openly. I believe that the most successful people don't chase butterflies - they build beautiful gardens. When you chase butterflies, they fly away. When you build something valuable and share it openly, the right butterflies come to you naturally. Not all of them, just the ones that align with your values and vision. Although counter-intuitive, it's true: Making your knowledge accessible doesn't devalue your work. It proves your worth. When you share and show your frameworks, insights, and methods, four things happen: ➡︎ Some people will do them on their own and become your biggest advocates. ➡︎ Others will see the value but lack the time or desire to DIY it. They become your ideal clients. ➡︎ Many will start with the resources you share, then hire you to help inspire others, build momentum, and scale quickly. ➡︎ And some will come to you who aren't the right fit. But because you've built trust through sharing, you can confidently refer them to others who serve them better. You're not creating competitors. You're creating an ecosystem where trust is built upfront and people self-select based on genuine alignment. Tricia Halsey calls this Generous Leadership® - abundantly giving of yourself so that others may be better people who do better work. It's not just good karma. It's smart strategy. In today's world, hoarding knowledge isn't just risky, it's obsolete. We're all learning together. The people who share generously are the ones invited into the most interesting conversations and opportunities. Yes, AI will amplify what's already there... your reputation, your expertise, your helpfulness. But the best outcomes happen in the trusted relationships you build with humans along the way. Whether you're building a brand, helping clients as an entrepreneur, or navigating a career transition, the principle remains: your willingness to help others succeed is your greatest differentiator. What's one insight you've learned recently that might help someone else? Build your garden. Share it. Trust that the right people will find you.

What habits matter for building high-trust teams and high-trust organisations? That's the focus of research by John Blakey. He identified 9️⃣ habits that are organised into 3️⃣ pillars: Ability, Integrity, and Benevolence. Ability: 🔸 Deliver – "Getting the job done" is "the passport into the rest of the trust game." 🔸 Coach – "Involves listening, asking powerful questions and empowering others." 🔸 Consistency – "If you deliver 99 days out of 100 and then it all falls apart on the 100th day, it will be the 100th day that people remember." Integrity: 🔸 Honesty – "Any transgression can severely damage your reputation." 🔸 Openness – "Be clear about why you’re doing what you’re doing" and "be able to own up to your shortcomings and mistakes." 🔸 Be Humble – "Put the company and team ahead of yourself." Benevolence: 🔸 Evangalise –"Set a positive tone and inspire confidence in others." 🔸 Be brave – "Stand up for what you believe in." 🔸 Be Kind – "Acts of kindness can change people’s attitudes in a positive way." Taken together, here is his "trust formula": Trustworthiness = ability x integrity x benevolence 🎤 I really like the calling out of "kindness" here. What do you think? Does this model resonate with you? What would you add or change? 👉 Learn more here: https://buff.ly/4eDPmJX 📗 Find the book "The Trusted Executive" here: https://buff.ly/4bsp2zE #Management #Trust #BehavioralScience #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #Habits 🚴♂️ Enjoy posts like this? 👉 Sign up to receive my quarterly roundup: https://buff.ly/3uK9Qvk

Showing up with kindness at work has been one of the most misunderstood parts of my career. For years, I believed what everyone told me: → “Build authority.” → “Get the title.” → “Command the room.” → “Prove your worth.” So I did. I chased titles. I perfected my image. I learned how to speak the language of influence. But eventually, it felt hollow until I connected with my Edge™ Because the part no one warns you about is this: Careers don’t grow from titles, they grow from touchpoints. And kindness is the currency. I’ve coached hundreds of senior leaders. I've seen half chase influence through authority. The other half transform entire careers, because they lead with kindness. Not the fluffy kind. The kind that stays with you long after you’ve left the room: ↳ Sends a handwritten note after your promotion, not just an email. ↳ Circles back weeks later to ask how your big presentation 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵, not just how it went. ↳ Notices the exhaustion in your voice and tells you to take tomorrow off, no questions asked.   I still remember the leader who called to check on me weeks  after I lost someone, long after everyone else had moved on. That meant more to me than any title ever could. Gallup found employees are 60% more likely to stay when they feel their manager cares about them as a person. We know that titles might open doors. But kindness keeps your name in the room, long after you’ve left it. Here are 5 K.I.N.D.™ habits that scale careers and culture: ✅ K: Keep listening without fixing Ask: “Do you want advice, or someone to just listen?” → People don’t need fixing. They need to feel heard and led. ✅ I: Invite vulnerability Share your own missteps: “Here’s a time I completely messed up and how I fixed it.” → Vulnerability builds trust. Fast. ✅ N: Notice and name wins Start meetings with: “What’s one small win we should celebrate today?” → Recognition resets energy. ✅ D: Demonstrate self-kindness Take a break. Set boundaries. Say no. → When you model it, others follow. ✅ + (Plus One) No-agenda check-ins Ten minutes. No work talk. Ask: “How are you, really?” → Turns transactions into connections. Kindness isn’t soft. It’s your secret weapon. Because the real impact isn’t in your title. It’s in your touch. And we need it more now than ever. So ask yourself: ❓ Who still feels seen because of the way you showed up? ❓ Whose name are you choosing to remember when no one else does? 🔖Tag a leader whose kindness changed your career. Let’s spread leadership that feels human. ➕ Follow Loren Rosario - Maldonado, PCC for more human leadership #Careers #Leadership #Kindness #TheEdge™ #CHOICE® #KIND™

People frequently confuse merit with trust. They say, “I'm right, so you should trust me.” The problem is that you can be a brilliant jerk, and you'll have a tough time getting anyone to follow your plans. Being right (merit) doesn't necessarily create trust. In many ways, trust creates merit, or perhaps more honestly, it creates the perception of merit. If you care about others, and you're honest with them, and you're committed to helping them, they'll reciprocate those feelings. When you have a collection of co-workers who deeply connect and trust each other, they'll be able to view the merits of each other's ideas and work. And usually, they'll view the merits of those ideas and work in the most favorable light. I have often heard things like the following: "I had this great idea, but no one will listen. What's wrong with my idea?" If they trusted you, they would listen to a terrible idea. If they don't trust you, they will ignore even the best idea. It's not the idea, but the personal relationship which is the issue. For more about trust, and how people get confused about the nature of trust, read on!