In a Harvard Business Review (HBR) article written in 2006, we read:
Results from a GolinHarris survey of Americans back in 2002 were similarly bleak: 69% of respondents agreed with the statement “I just don’t know who to trust anymore.” In that same year the University of Chicago surveyed 800 Americans and discovered that more than four out of five had “only some” or “hardly any” confidence in the people running major corporations.Have things changed? I would say they have gotten worse!
Look at the protests on Wall Street:
People's trust in Wall Street and corporate leaders have obviously diminished. The feeling of distrust in corporations, Wall Street, government officials (both in the officials and in their ability to do anything right), and in each other has diminished.
Why are the protesters there? The protesters intend to engage in long-term civil disobedience to draw attention to Wall Street’s misdeeds and call for structural economic reforms. I would say one needs to be blind to not see the power and influence that corporations have on government and the economy as a whole. We see the impact of a company like Enron or what is happening on Wall Street. BIG MONEY is being made in times of difficulty. How can we trust when we see all that is happening?
People do not have the confidence in the government.
“The governments don’t rule the world. Goldman Sachs rules the world. Goldman Sachs does not care about this rescue package, neither does the big funds.”A Goldman Sachs spokeswoman said the bank had no comment.
Regarding the GOP, a writer from the Canadian Free Press asks Which GOP Candidate will Come Clean and Break From the Pack?:
According to our Constitution, we are the ones who need to be sold on your vision and leadership, so who is going to forge a leadership position via honesty, ethics, morals, character and transparency?
We all thought that Obama's administration was going to give this country hope, I am waiting to see that glimmer in our country, corporations, and governments.
Let's HOPE things get better.
Trust and leadership are inseparable. I have heard, on many occasions, people say that they do not care what people promise in the elections because they don't really see them following through with it.
Bottom line: Just do what you say you will do! We need a leader for this country (on every level) that could build our trust in our government, economy, businesses, real estate market, etc. Trust and leadership go together.
I agree that trust is an essential part of leadership and government. But I think a more crucial factor is results. All leaders promise change and a better future, and the ones that achieve it are said to be trustworthy. But most of the time, leaders are still trying to achieve results, but are seen as untrustworthy when they don't achieve it. I think that once the government rights the ship, trust will be restored, whether or not it is actually deserved.
ReplyDeleteI agree. A root to trust is results, or better yet, following through like you said. Initially, I think we can trust someone before they start just by their words, but following through and seeing results are key. Talking can only get you so far.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, I think its kind of sad that we live in a world where there is so much distrust. We have to be weary of who will actually follow through or have our best interest at heart.
I agree with your statements about trust and leadership going hand in hand. I am taking a class called Power Politics and Influence which believe it or not is a Business class. The first thing we learned is that to be a leader, you must be trustworthy; only then would you have followers and be able to accomplish anything. So its kind of like the whole what came first the chicken or the egg question. You need to be trustworthy for people to follow you and accomplish goals with their help but in order for them to follow you you need to show proven results and gain that trust if that made any sense. Its more complex than just saying with trust will the US be resolved of all economic difficulties; there are a lot of other factors that play into results.
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