Go Team GB!

Just the thought of hurtling down hair-raising ski slopes at 60mph+ is scary enough. Kelly Gallagher has just done it and she is registered blind. AND she earned Great Britain their first ever gold medal at the Winter Paralympics in the process. Incredible. So courageous. So determined. So resilient. So humble. So inspirational.

Who would you trust to blindfold you and guide you down a slope at great speed?..

Who would you trust to guide you at work?..

Funny thing, trust. People ask us to trust them all the time and most of we benevolent souls are happy to oblige.

Trusting people makes life simpler and it’s important. Taking it for granted that you and those around you will behave as mutually agreed; i.e.honestly, reliably and fairly, means you can all work together more effectively and achieve incredible results you could never achieve alone. Trust becomes even more important in challenging and stressful times. It has to be an unbreakable and consistent two way street.

Although trust can only truly be gained over time and longevity, it can be achieved more readily when teams achieve successful (and mutually beneficial) outcomes together, especially if the success is achieved in the face of adversity.

Kelly and her guide Charlotte Evans have been training together for four years and yesterday they were both in tears with thoughts of fear and failure. They dug deep. They persevered. They honoured the investment in each other.

Fundamental to achieving trust is a relentless commitment of all parties to walk the talk, to be authentic, respectful, loyal, supportive, fair and consistent. These are firm foundations on which to build and grow and go for gold.