Best Business Practices: Trusting Yourself

Not until I read Speed of Trust had I considered the importance of trusting myself. Not until I read and began specifically practicing the book’s mentioned behaviors did I get the inclination of the impact of trusting myself.

But still, it was not until recently, a year after first the reading that I began noticing the effect of not trusting myself has on teamwork, communication, having good conflict, achieving good results, and a host of other things.

“Trusting myself has to happen before I can ever begin restoring and/or extending trust to others in a REAL way.” If you have not done so, read pages 309-311 in Speed of Trust. If you have, please read it again. What Covey has to say is maybe the most important aspect of Best Business Practices; extending trust to yourself; telling yourself the truth, respecting yourself, stop beating yourself up, be open and honest with yourself about your weaknesses, forgive yourself, stopping putting yourself down, getting better, get your head out of the sand, extend smart-trust to yourself.

The first book Cathy, my wife, ever saw me purchase (’86) was “What To Say When You Talk To Yourself.” I’m sure she was wondering what she had married, but I was sincerely intrigued by the title. A few years later, I went to a men’s retreat and the subject was “The Lies We Believe.” This was another book based in part upon how we talk to ourselves and what we say.

Now, Covey tells us that productivity and profitability improves as we trust ourselves first, then others. Hmmmm….maybe there’s something in all the “self” stuff – the Bible even says to love your neighbor as you love yourself….gulp.

If you don’t have a copy of this book, let me know and I’ll send you one – my gift.

Let’s become the best in the business – together.


God Bless,

Danny