The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

The “advisor” aspect of “trusted advisor” serves a critical business function: fulfilling the promise of providing expertise in a way that makes a difference.

no greater source of distrust than advisors who appear to be more interested in themselves than in trying to be of service to the client. We must work hard to show that our self-orientation is under control.

In the business of advice-giving, it is not enough to be right—you have to earn the right to be right.

focus on four specific principles governing trustworthy behavior:

Trust and influence go hand in hand. The more someone trusts you, the more likely he is to be influenced by you.

Trust-based relationships cry out for principles. A role that can be completed largely or wholly from processes alone is not a role that requires much trust.

Reliability is the one component of the trust equation that has an explicit action orientation.