The head of ElectroScientific once said, "Trust is the real grease

that keeps an organization going." How would you like to wake up

one morning and find your hard-earned retirement savings just went up

in smoke-worthless. And then you see your executives getting bonuses,

cashing in their stock when you can't, and building mansions on

all four corners of the country.

The Enron disaster will have a greater impact than most people realize.

Because of Enron, now anyone in a management position will have to work

that much harder proving their trustworthiness. This fact is highlighted

in a recent survey conducted by Chart Your Course International. People

were asked, "Who do you trust more?" and then to place in order

seven different job categories.

The scorings were ranked in the following order. (1=high trust, 7=low

trust) 1) Firefighter/Police Officer 2)Physician 3) Small Business Owner

4) Military Officer 5) Corporate Executive 6) Attorney 7) Elected Official.

This last question reflects sentiment based on recent events and demonstrates

it will be more challenging for corporate America to establish trust

and credibility with the workforce.

Trust is a key factor needed for effective leadership. The problem today

is that you can't tell or even expect people to trust you. . you

must prove it first. In God we trust, but all others bring data.

Furthermore, maintaining trust is like walking on eggs-slow going

and easily crushed. Even before Enron, my experience as a management

consultant shows many executives unintentionally damage their credibility

and trust. Here are some ways to maintain a high trust level within your

organization.

- Your personal life is your public life. Your personal life reflects

who you really are. If you are in a leadership position, your personal

life is open to scrutiny. Your ability to lead others will increase if

people respect you. You may not like it, but that is the way it is.

- Do what you say you will do. How many times has someone told

you, "I'll get