Trust Building

Trust Building

A young girl and a boy, their curiosity piqued, peer behind a curtain, illustrated in a detailed, vintage etching style.
In this excerpt from The Intimate Animal, Justin Garcia shows why curiosity and self-disclosure — not attraction alone — help build intimacy and sustain it over time.
Book cover titled "The Bonfire Moment" with a diagonal gradient line, inspired by Bob Taylor’s collaborative spirit, and text: "Bring Your Team Together To Solve The Hardest Problems Startups Face" by Martin Gonzalez & Josh Yellin.
Tech legend Bob Taylor — a pioneer of the computing revolution — figured out the genius of framing two types of disagreement.
Two stylized, pixelated hands reaching toward each other as if about to shake hands, inspired by Aaron Hurst, set against a solid blue background with white circular lines.
Aaron Hurst — founder and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Connection — offers a bold new vision for community service.
A collage titled "The Nightcrawler," featuring a hand planting a seed, a distressed woman holding her head, and repetitive office cubicles in purple tones, explores trust amid cycles of anxiety and routine.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
A middle-aged man with glasses and a beard, resembling Jimmy Wales, poses in front of a light-colored background featuring Wikipedia's globe logo and various language characters.
Wales shares with Big Think his thoughts about the future of media, the promise of AI, and our need to build a culture on trust.
A medieval scribe sits at a desk, writing in a manuscript with quill and ink, surrounded by open books and a basket holding writing supplies.
"What’s happening now has, in fact, been happening since the very invention of language and writing."
A man speaking into a microphone, an illustration of a person with a bun near Japanese text, and Kevin Kelly, a bearded man, are overlaid with red geometric shapes under the title "THE NIGHT CRAWLER.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
A collage features people using phones, a vintage courtroom scene, and a close-up of mechanical watch parts under tweezers, exploring ancestral bonds, with the title "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" at the top.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Black and white portrait of David Aaker, an older man in a suit and glasses, centered between artistic backgrounds of a handshake, grid, and abstract curved lines.
The marketing guru outlines the current state of brand-building — and highlights four outstanding opportunities for the immediate future.
David Perell, in a short-sleeve white shirt, sits in front of a blurred background with plants, looking slightly to the side.
You no longer need an army of followers to stand out as a writer — “one great piece is all it takes,” says Perell.
A group of armored men, some gesturing and talking with an air of positivity, gather around a seated figure wearing a laurel wreath and colorful robes; other figures and draped fabric appear in the background.
Andreessen Horowitz cofounder Ben Horowitz thought that “blowing sunshine” was the right way to handle pressure — here’s how he corrected his mistake.
An open book reveals the art of smart manipulation: on the left page, a marionette illustration dances gracefully, while on the right, a flock of sheep grazes peacefully in a sunlit field.
We manipulate constantly — but few of us want to be called “manipulative.” Here, ex-Google executive Jenny Wood redefines an unfairly maligned trait.
A foot in a brown shoe stepping on a banana peel against a blue background, illustrating one of the humorous fixes for success.
Professor of leadership Michael D. Watkins identifies ways high-performing teams can be sabotaged — and offers simple fixes for each.
A line of waiters in formal attire, embodying a sense of unreasonable hospitality, carry trays with teapots and cups as they gracefully walk in procession outside the building.
Restaurateur Will Guidara explains why it’s not just what you do, but how you make people feel that leads to successful ventures.
A book open to a black and white photo of a steaming mug on the left page and a detailed, artistic portrait of an elderly person on the right page, capturing a sense of rival camaraderie through the contrasting images.
Why Bob Stiller — founder and former CEO of billion-dollar beverage company Green Mountain Coffee Roasters — believes shared learnings are a win-win.
A dark cloud, laced with cynicism, is topped with a colorful iridescent layer against a dim sky.
Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki discusses the dangers of cynicism and how skepticism can invigorate our relationships and communities.
A collage of speech bubbles containing randomly oriented text, scribbles, and abstract shapes on a black background. Some bubbles feature words like "news" and "missed" partially visible.
In "Not Born Yesterday," author and cognitive scientist Hugo Mercier makes the case that misinformation is overrated — and other human foibles are underrated.
A collage of various international banknotes featuring portraits of historical figures.
A physicist, a psychologist, and a philosopher walk into a bar and discuss a framework for thinking better in the 21st century.
Three men in business attire standing in a field, one holding a baseball bat, next to a damaged printer or computer.
Executive advisor Tiffani Bova wants leaders to value their employees as much as their customers.
Black-and-white portrait of a woman with an empathetic gaze and a black frame, set against a green patterned background.
Sam Smith — founder and former CEO of finnCap Group — argues that a culture of empathy will help superscale any business.
A blue hand with arrows on it.
To be successful, leaders would be wise to remember that AI isn’t a replacement for people; it exists to enhance their capabilities.
A robot is making a rock hand gesture with the word hola.
People who have a regional accent might prefer robots who speak like them over generic voices.
A collaborative collage showcasing the power of trust and teamwork among individuals.
Chloé Valdary — founder of Theory of Enchantment — explores two essential practices for generating the team “magic” that drove Apple under Steve Jobs.
A group of people collaborating and showcasing trust as they sit together on a rope, against a captivating black background.
Wherever businesses are a powerful force for society, successful leaders embrace the “mission mindset” of shared purpose.
A painting showcasing objects within a circular composition.
Every organization has a power block of dutiful but unappreciated talent. Here’s an effective plan for engagement.
a painting of a group of people in a factory.
In an age of high quit rates, struggling low-wage employees, and tone-deaf leadership, the call for “good jobs” makes great sense.
a group of people standing next to each other.
When the going gets tough, nothing beats a wide network of tried-and-true connections.
a close up of a cell phone near a keyboard.
The biggest lingering question about GPT-4 isn't if it's going to destroy jobs or take over the world. Instead, it is this: Do we trust AI programmers to tell society what is true?
An illustration representing a tense argument between a man and woman
Arguments don’t have to be about winning or losing; they can help us build trust despite disagreeing.