Trust can be defined as "the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something."
The person who manages to show up authentically day after day, week after week, month after month and even year after year builds a bank account of trust that pays dividends for as long as they keep making those deposits.
The person who delivers on their promises consistently when they say they will and without excuses keeps his or her clients and enjoys an army of "personal walking ambassadors" like few others.
I was reminded of this while reading of an incident shared by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in his just-released memoir, "Idea Man." It was back in the late 70s, and sales in Japan were just taking off. A sales rep from a Japanese company had purchased a large amount of software, but because of a malfunction with one of the Japanese company's prototype machines, Microsoft failed to meet their delivery date.
