Hi everyone!

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.

This is what I wrote about for Training Industry: 4 Ways to Be a Trusted Leader.

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. (ClickHERE to tweet this!)

In my work I have identified four fundamental aspects of trust:

1. 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.
2. Vulnerability. – Remember, vulnerability is not weakness, it’s openness. (Click HERE to Tweet this!)
3. Transparency. – If you don’t share information, people will come up with their own answers to their questions.
4. Consistency. – All of these aspects are great, but they won’t matter unless you act that way on a regular basis.

You can read more about these four aspects in my article HERE.

What is trust to you? Do you have a secret weapon that helps you to build trust in your relationships?