Again, Rebuilding Trust...

It could not have been coincidence. This week, in the U.S., two eminences who appeared before the U.S. Congress to answer questions by legislators on the Obama stimulus package,   pointed out the need for rebuilding Trust.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told the U.S. Senate: "The American people have lost faith in the leaders of our financial institutions and are skeptical that their government has, to this point, used taxpayers' money in ways that will benefit them."

Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs Group, said in the House of Representatives, on Feb. 12: "We have to regain the public's trust and do everything we can  to help mend our financial system to restore stability and vitality." (Wall Street Journal, Feb. 12 2009).

We could very well be saying the same things in the Philippines. While we, as individuals, may be resolved to stay strong and keep on enhancing our performance, say,  in business and the professions,  we still  need our institutions to hold us together. We will always need leaders to look up to. We will always  need to believe that those we see as blundering, faltering  and going about motivated by  greed and dishonesty are far outnumbered by those who are good and will stay true to their oath as public officials and  their commitment as leaders of business, community and society.

We earn trust by what we do, and not by what we claim. PR can help rebuild  trust in our leaders by laying out to them the power of  corporate governance and of genuine public service. Authentic leadership means those in whom we have invested Trust must serve us, and not themselves. It means curbing greed and self-aggrandizement, and keeping in mind, quite up high there, what will be good for our employees, stakeholders, and our community. And what is according to law and to regulations.

Better, the difference between right and wrong.

It will be difficult to tell our leaders, in government and business, who could well be our Clients, that they must toe the line and help restore trust in our institutions. We in PR, must, nevertheless, try. The price for not doing so may be unbearably high. The biggest,  most imaginative economic recovery plan  any one can put together may be of not much use if those who will be tasked to deliver it  will not have what it will take. Our Trust.