Rodney was meeting with his advisor/mentor at the beginning of his senior year to discuss career plans. His mentor, Chloe, asked him a simple question: “What are your hopes for a career?” She expected Rod would struggle with his response, but he didn’t. “First I want to make a contribution, not just have a job. Second, I want to be able to take care of my family I hope to have.” Chloe was impressed by Rod’s conviction and promised to forward opportunities to him that she thought would be a good fit.
Two months later, Chloe and Rod met again. “Rod, I think I have a great opportunity for you. It’s a small company with a great product that is growing rapidly. They need someone to be their sales lead in a new market segment.”
Rod was flabbergasted. “Professor, you know me. I’m not very social. I’ve never been outgoing. Why do you think this job is for me?”
Chloe responded: “When I talked with their founder, she told me the person for this job needs to have a genuineness that comes across from the first meeting. Rod, you are right. You aren’t social. But you are very genuine. When someone meets you, they know right off that you aren’t putting on airs. You aren’t about show time. Rather, you are about real time. You are going to have to trust me. This is the job that will meet your hopes.”
Rod did trust her and he was offered and accepted the job. Chloe’s judgment was right and Rod became a star in the company.
As the company grew so did Rod’s responsibility. Ten years into his career he was in charge of all sales as a Senior Vice President. His career hopes had been realized. As he reflected on his career, he gained a new appreciation for the value of trust in achieving his hopes.
Hopes may go unmet if we can’t trust others to guide us. We become comfortable with the way we see ourselves, and this can create limitations of what we might be able to achieve. We need the eyes of others we trust to see the possibilities that we can’t see for ourselves. Trust is not easy, but it’s essential to fulfilling our hopes.
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“When you fully trust someone without any doubt, you finally get one of two results: A person for life or A reason for life.” – Anonymous