Votes will be cast next week, and one of the world’s most influential people will take office on January 20^th. Who will decide? The undecided voters will tip the balance left or right. If you are one of them, what metrics will you use? Trust expert, author and researcher David Horsager has a solution. Put on the lens of trust to help you pick what you see as the more trusted side of the fence to land on. 

“Trust has the ability to accelerate or destroy any business, relationship, or COUNTRY,” says David Horsager, author of #2 Wall Street Journal Best Selling Book The Trust Edge. “The election is completely determined by trust.”

But, what does it mean to be trusted? Horsager outlines 8 pillars of trustworthiness that he has uncovered through research and consulting. The eight pillars are clarity, compassion, character, competency, commitment, connection, contribution and consistency. There are 8 questions to ask when deciding who you believe is the best candidate for the job.

Mitt Romney or Barack Obama

1. Who has a clearer vision?

2. Who has higher character?

3. Who is more capable to lead the country?

4. Who is more likely to get results?

5. Who is more committed to upholding the Constitution?

6. Who is more compassionate?

7. Who is more willing to collaborate with others?

8. Who is a more consistent leader?

Whoever you chose the most is the leader you trust the most.

With the 8 pillars of trust in mind, which candidate seems to be more trusted? Last week, Horsager and his team polled people across America and found a fairly even distribution except for 2 questions. 60% of those polled believe Barack Obama is more compassionate and 60% believe Mitt Romney is more committed to upholding the Constitution. Who do YOU trust more?

The single uniqueness of the greatest leaders and organizations is trust. According to David Horsager, “Trust requires time, effort, diligence, and character. Inspiring trust is not slick or easy to fake.” Our country needs a leader who can be trusted. As defined by Horsager, trust is a confident belief in someone or something to do what is right, deliver what is promised, and to be the same every time, in spite of circumstances.

 Who do you trust to lead America?