A weekly thought for leaders with the courage to introspect.
Trust is beautiful. But beware of the side effect.
Trust is the basis of the economy.
You know that. I know that.
But trust is more than cash flows.
Trust is the foundation of everything we do.
Every relationship.
Any collaboration.
Every step you take.
Without trust you can't do anything.
Without trust you remain stagnant.
And so we seek it.
We long for it.
Do we need it.
In companies, trust is worth its weight in gold.
If there is mutual trust, it feels like oxygen:
→ Employees are more productive.
→ Loyal.
→ Healthier.
→ Involved.
→ More creative.
They take their aura of confidence with them into the world.
Which also makes deals run more smoothly.
Delivering more value.
Win-win.
So yes: trust is great.
It is even a design feature of man.
We want to believe in goodness.
We surrender in hope.
But we are not naive.
We learn.
We know that not everything and everyone is reliable.
And yet sometimes we hold on.
Not because we really trust anymore…
But because letting go would cost us something.
A belief. A convenience. A status quo.
Example? Facebook.
We have known for a long time that it is unreliable.
But yeah. Everyone's on it.
Your contacts. Your photos. Your memories.
So we stay.
Not through trust, but through dependence.
And there comes the problem.
Because dependency is a vicious enemy.
It's manipulative.
It takes your mind hostage.
It sucks your energy.
It undermines your self-direction.
Dependency never feels powerful.
You don't get any compliments for it.
No certificate. No applause.
But what if you break it anyway?
Then yes.
Because letting go of dependency is strength.
It's growth.
It is autonomy in action.
Is it easy? No.
You have to acknowledge what is going on.
You have to get used to a new story.
Another belief.
Another idea. A new relationship.
You have to say goodbye.
Maybe mourning.
Maybe fall.
And then get up.
But trust me: after that it's lighter.
More spacious. Freer.
So this is my question to you:
Where in your life has trust turned into dependency?
With a client? A colleague? A relationship? A belief? A digital platform?
Be honest.
Because trust is beautiful.
But if it goes too far…
…it becomes something that keeps you small.
So stay as free as you can be.
—
The space between the words is where insight arises.
Until next week when our thoughts touch again.
Hans Ruinemans,
Boardroom Monk ☯️