Believe the best 2



My parents taught me, ‘believe the best in people first.’ And I have to say that I have held this value and worked to live it out, perhaps at times a little naively, but I would rather believe first that people are good, until they prove otherwise.

There is a lot of talk about the diminishing of trust in our leaders and institutions, and there is a general cautiousness to believe people can be trusted, and perhaps some of this is understandable.

However, what I have experienced is that this principle of believing the best in a person first most often results in the person rising well to the occasion.

If my expectation of another in the workplace is that they have something good to contribute to a team, a positive environment, and I give them an opportunity … it seems my expectation gives them permission and courage to bring their goodness and talent to bear.

So, for me the morale of the story is, that if you believe the best in people, it seems to bring out their best:

As a parent with our children

As a colleague

A business partner

A spouse…

I’ve found this to be true in all areas of my life.

Believe the best in others first.


About Penny

Penny was born in England, raised in New Zealand, lived in America and settled in Perth, Australia. Together with her husband Mark, she is raising a teenage daughter and has twin twenty-something sons. "Coming home at the end of a solid working day to family and friends is my delight" says Penny, Co-author of the book – She’s Not Your Competition. She is a heart-felt communicator who believes in the power of a person’s story. Penny has over 25 years experience as a high level leader and spokesperson in both the private and non-profit sectors with significant public relations experience. She is currently the CEO of South Coastal Women's Health Services, and prior on the Leadership Teams of Rise Network and Riverview supporting people in areas of mental health, domestic and family violence, and children overseas at risk of exploitation. She holds an MBA and MBL, and is a Board Director for the Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia. For the past 15 years she has provided pro-bono support as a mentor for leaders and consultant to not for profits. Penny’s personal life endeavour is a determination to "make life better not bitter".

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