Trust

Happy Friday, 

In architecture, the keystone is the central, often wedge-shaped stone at the top of an arch. It’s crucial to the structural integrity of the arch because it locks the other stones in place and helps distribute the weight and pressure evenly. The keystone is small relative to the arch and looks like just another stone, making the importance of its role easy to overlook. But without the keystone, the arch would be weak, unable to bear much weight, and prone to collapse. 

The metaphorical arch represents the lifetime aspirations of your career or business. The trust you engender in the world is your keystone.

For most young adults, trust is their most valuable and consequential asset. A fact that needs to be communicated more by parents and educators. In college, where career success is usually the point, the focus is squarely on training and testing, with nary a whisper of the pivotal role of trust—an arch with no keystone.

Beyond the confines of classrooms and academic accolades, i.e., the real world, trust is the actual currency of personal and professional success. Even the most towering degree and jacked-up subject matter expertise become impotent in its absence.

If you have a company, lead an organization or a team, or are an individual with career aspirations, remember this Good News Friday. 

Trust is the keystone for your personal and professional aspirations. Just as a single stone bears the weight of the entire structure, the strength of the trust you earn and sustain upholds your journey toward personal, professional, and business success. 

Punchline: The most potent career and business strategy one can pursue is a consistent, purposeful, aggressive campaign to strengthen and expand trust. Trust in you, trust in your team, and trust in your organization. Whatever your aspirations, recognize the pivotal role of trust as the keystone needed to achieve them.

And have a great weekend,

Dave

Feedback and blowback are always welcome: dave@goodnewsfriday.com

Access all 50 past topics (pure gold) @ goodnewsfriday.com

Written by me, not ChatGPT, with much-appreciated speed assist and blunder avoidance by Grammarly.