Trust Fall

Spies, trust, and what happens when we stop posturing and start leading like humans.

In another life, Robin Dreeke made a living convincing traitors to switch sides.

He wasn’t selling software. He was selling trust.
In the FBI. To people who knew trusting him could get them killed.

Put’s the referral agreement you’re working on into perspective, doesn’t it?

When we talked with Robin, he didn’t talk like a fed. He talked like someone who’s had to earn trust the hard way with nothing but his presence, patience, and a knack for seeing people before they’re ready to be seen.

Robin says trust starts the moment you get quiet. Not when you pitch or when you perform. (this seems to be a theme in our conversations lately).

Rather, trust comes when you become the kind of person people feel safe around.

He wasn’t chasing influence. He was cultivating safety.

Which is funny, right? Because we’re often taught the way to lead is to talk louder. Be the alpha. Dominate the room. Make people listen to you.

But Robin made a career and, further a life out of asking the kind of questions that make people look inward. He made a career out of listening to others and building unbreakable alliances as a result.

He says people aren’t the problem. Their behavior is just the billboard.
You want to change the story? You have to first get curious about the person writing it.

He did this with spies. You can do it with your team, partners, family and kids, and neighbors. Maybe even your enemies, if you feel so inclined.

But maybe the most powerful thing he says:

If you want real influence, give people the option to say no.
No pressure. No pitch. Just presence.

Because when someone chooses to trust you, really chooses, that’s when everything changes.

It’s not about tactics. It’s about how you make people feel when there’s nothing in it for you.

Are you building pipeline? Or unbreakable alliances?
Because the good ones? They do both.

See ya out there,
Sam

PS. We have 20 spots left to ALX and they’re going fast. If you’ve been thinking about it, don’t miss your spot. ArcadiaLeadershipExperience.com 

If you want to hear the whole conversation with Robin - Spotify and Apple 

And, check out Robin’s great book here.