Benevolent Concern and Trust

Alignment of interests and fair process are comforting, but an even more powerful builder of trust is our belief that the trustee cares more about us than she does about herself. We can call this a benevolence or a character of service to others. A lack of benevolence creates distrust because it makes the trustee seem exclusively self-centered. Why would I trust someone who is only going to look out after his own interests unless our interests are always perfectly aligned?

People who balance advocating for their own interests with listening and acting to support others' interests tend to be seen as more trustworthy, for fairly obvious reasons. They demonstrate a respect for others and understand others' needs in a way that helps them find win-win solutions. Remarkably, in some circles of business, the idea of being benevolent has become a foreign concept. As an example, consider the following real exchange that took place in a trust seminar at a major company. When the idea that benevolence enhances trust came up, one participant took exception. He said, “There is no such thing as benevolent concern; there is only self-interest.” The instructor responded, “Do you mean that Mother Teresa saves people in the s....