Getting Better All the Time

Keeping a Good Heart Builds and Restores Trust

By Don Janssen, DVM, and James F. Gesualdi

No matter what happens to you in life, keep a good heart.
—South Shore University Hospital, Northwell Health Spiritual Services

Things happen in life, personally and professionally. It is the very nature of life. Sometimes those things challenge us or, at worst, seem poised to crush us and our idea of a better future. Other times, things can lift us and carry us forward to that better future.

Life has taught each of us, both personally and professionally—in Don’s veterinary practice and Jim’s legal practice—that whatever these things or circumstances are, and however overwhelming the way forward may seem in the present, there is always something we can do about things. It may not bring all that we seek or wish to avoid, but we can make things better for ourselves, others, and animals simply by keeping a good heart.

Likewise, leaders and organizations endure many adversities and challenges. Sometimes, those situations may tax or dissipate trust, and then efficacy. To build and restore trust is hard work, but it becomes manageable when we keep a good heart.

Physiologically, a good heart functions well and circulates our life blood. In other ways, a good heart, though never spotless, helps us function well and aids in the circulation of positive energy and interactions in a group and/or zoological organization. Keeping a good heart is the way to build and restore trust.

Don has previously written on becoming a “trusted authority,” and most of his strategies for doing so define what constitutes a good heart:

Be humble, and set your self-interests aside. Humility assures people that we will use our power not to hurt, but to help. Only with genuine humility can we keep our power under control and do what's right for others.
Continually pay into your trust account. Our level of trust with another person may wax and wane, depending on circumstances. We can, however, grow the balance in our trust accounts with others by making and keeping commitments consistently over time. The more we invest, the more resilient our relationship will be when adverse events strike.
Honor the truth, and be transparent. It’s natural to trust those who are transparent, and do not hide or obscure the truth. But we are suspicious of those whom we sense are covering up. Being open and vulnerable is hard, and goes against the grain. Nevertheless, great leaders dare to be honest and transparent, and do what's right for others—even if, in the short term, it makes them look bad.
Extend trust to others. This is a shortcut to gaining trust. We don’t expect someone to trust us before we have earned it. When they do, we feel good about that person and are more likely to extend trust to them. Some risk is involved, but that is what makes this so powerful.
Take responsibility. Leaders who blame others when problems arise are abdicating their responsibilities. Trustworthy leaders take responsibility quickly and completely, especially when things go wrong. Chuck Bieler, former director of the San Diego Zoo, said it best, in this quote from Heart of the Zoo: How San Diego Zoo Director Chuck Bieler Earned His Stripes, a new book by Kathi Diamant. “I like employees to run things and get involved,” Chuck said, “but is the crew going to run the ship?” He answered his own question: “No, I am. The buck stops here, because I’m responsible for everything that happens.” He is a great example of a leader who took his responsibility as an authority seriously, and one that we could trust to have our backs.

You can read the complete article “What Does It Take to Be a Trusted Authority? Six Strategies to Boost Your Influence” in the September 2022 Academy Newsletter.

Jim has found Don’s strategies to be highly effective because, like a good heart, they come from within. They call upon us to control and do what we can, beginning with checking our ego, serving others—including animals—and strengthening our good heart to build trust. Don adds that since it is something within each of us, we can all keep a good heart.

The time to build trust is always now. The same goes for restoring it. And it is better to do so before being overcome by events where mutual respect and trusting relationships can make all the difference in the world. When we keep a good heart and do not let challenges stop the flow of goodness, trust ensues.

The people when rightly and fully trusted will return the trust.
—Abraham Lincoln

One of the fastest ways to restore trust is to make and keep commitments—even very small commitments—to ourselves and others.
—Stephen M. R. Covey

Don Janssen, DVM, is a veterinarian and retired corporate director of animal health for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. He is the author of Upside-Down Leadership: A Zoo Veterinarian's Journey to Becoming a Servant Leader.