“Your words reflect your commitments – your promises to act. Whether you have a long conversation with a friend or a business conversation with a work colleague, every word makes a difference. The results of our interactions are rarely neutral; they are almost always positive or negative. Does what I say reflect my commitment to be a reliable friend, spouse, sibling or leader?”

The word trust surfaced for me when I read this excerpt from the book. Trust plays a huge role in how we interact with our teams. This concept allows us to give those we work with the freedom to thrive and grow in confidence. It takes on a life of its own. However, that does not mean that you do not inspect what you ask the team to do. You honor them by trusting that they will always strive to what is right. “I trust you, I believe in you, and I am confident that you will make the right decision.” Those words mean something to those looking to you as a leader. It gives your team a sense of freedom that you trust who they are as a person and the role they play on the team.