POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES: Trustworthiness

 

Trust is valuable. It affects everything. Being trusted by others is one of the character attributes necessary to foster healthy relationships and to achieve your most valued goals.

I know from experience that trust isn’t a quick thing you can gain. Like a growing savings account, it's something earned over a period of time, after consistently being honest, always acting with integrity, never lying or misleading. 

If you want to be a person other people trust, take an honest look at your actions and the decisions you make every day.

Here are nine traits of trustworthy people. Do you have them? Can people trust you?

1. Trustworthy people are authentic.

Authentic people are real, meaning they are genuine and have excellent character. They're likeable, humble, and easy to talk to.

2. They are consistent.

Aside from having an occasional bad day, trustworthy people demonstrate consistent, positive behavior. 

3. They have integrity.

People with integrity do and stand up for what's right, even when no one is watching.  They strive to always be truthful.

4. They are compassionate.

Trustworthy people exhibit empathy and compassion through their ability to put themselves in other people’s shoes.

5. They are kind.

Kindness is demonstrated through all of their interactions with others.  They understand that when someone is having a bad day, showing kindness is always the best response.  They are also kind to themselves.

6. They are resourceful.

Trusted people consistently seek to learn, recognize there's always room for improvement, and find ways to work smarter (not harder). Because of this mindset, they use what they know and share resources to inspire and support others.

7. They are connectors.

They look for ways to align like-minded people, and successfully connect them with others who need their knowledge or expertise to help them reach their goals.

8. They are humble.

Trustworthy people shine the spotlight on others first and sincerely celebrate their successes.  They give credit where credit is due, and are quick to recognize that it takes a team--not any one individual--to get things done. 

9. They are available.

They are there for people and reliably support them. They value their relationships and make a conscious effort to foster and celebrate them. 

POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES: Integrity

Having integrity means doing the right thing in a reliable way. It's a personality trait that we admire, since it means a person has a moral compass that doesn't waver.

A person who has integrity lives their values in relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and strangers. Honesty and trust are central to integrity.

Integrity means following your moral or ethical convictions and doing the right thing in all circumstances, even if no one is watching you. Having integrity means you are true to yourself and would do nothing that demeans or dishonors you.

Having integrity is a positive character trait, where you are regarded as being honest and truthful in your actions.

Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions.

The good news about integrity is that we're not born with it—or without it—which means that it's a behavior-based virtue we can cultivate over time.

At the root of integrity is doing the right thing even when it’s not acknowledged by others, or convenient for you. 

Examples of everyday integrity:

• Keep your promises even if it takes extra effort.
• Go back to a store and pay for something you forgot to pay for.
• Never betray a friend's trust even if you get in trouble.
• Inform the cashier they gave you too much change back.
• Don't gossip or talk badly about someone.
• Remain true to your spouse or partner.
• When in a serious relationship, don't keep secrets from each other.
• Don't cheat on an exam even if you knew you wouldn't get caught.
• Return money that you noticed someone dropped without expecting a reward.
• Don't let someone else take the blame for something you did.
• If someone gives you confidential information, never tell anyone what you know.
• When it is obvious to you a relationship is over, don't drag it out but discuss it openly.