When "Drake Happened"- Trust Series Part I

When I stepped onto the plane for the long-haul flight from Frankfurt to Vancouver last March, all I wanted to do was find my seat, create a bubble where nobody would bother me, sleep + get home. I was at the tail end of three very productive, long + intensive weeks in Prague, Berlin + Walldorf. My brain was full and as I was working through different problems in my head, I was thinking it was likely a good time for me to find a coach. In that moment, I was ready to turtle.

And then “Drake happened”.

There are times when I’m convinced people come into our lives for a reason. This may sound a bit ‘out there’, but I pay attention when connections seem far from random. As I walked just past the bulkhead, I was met with the kindest eyes + most calming energy on the plane. Drake.

Drake is a service dog. His human is Darryl Stickel. Turns out Darryl is not only an Executive Coach, he is one of the world’s leading experts on Trust. He did his PhD Thesis on building trust in hostile environments. He worked at McKinsey, teaches at the Luxembourg School of Business and the University of Southern California, and runs his own company, Trust Unlimited. But I didn’t know any of this yet.

As I fit my bag into the overhead bin, I asked Darryl if I could say hello to Drake. In that moment I went from trying to get to my seat as quickly and quietly as possible to finding joy in meeting Drake. Darryl + I struck up a conversation and I had to laugh that moments before, I was thinking through problems (that could be helped with increased trust), and that Darryl is an Executive Coach.

Over the next 10 hours, it was fascinating to watch the effect that Drake had on almost everyone who went past him. People smiled, slowed down, said “hello” and generally were kinder as they entered Drake’s sphere. Drake was not only comforting to be around, he was a great reminder that we all can impact those around us.

Fast forward several weeks and Darryl + I caught up via phone. As he shared more about the work he does, I started forming plans to bring him to SAP to do a Trust Workshop Pilot. His model is simple and profound. It’s not fluffy or all about feelings. He talks about Perceived Risk, Benevolence and Willingness to be Vulnerable. There are very specific behaviours and levers that can increase trust. Darryl + I have continued that conversation over a number of months and I’m convinced his model and approach can have a significant impact on individuals, our leaders and our community.

Just this week SAP’s CEO, Bill McDermott published an article as part of the World Economic Forum, Trust is at breaking point, it’s time to rebuild it. He talks about the trust gap and says, “The right way – the only way – to restore trust is to put people first. This is not about slogans. I am talking about a profound change in the way institutions engage with individuals”. Trust is clearly an increasingly important topic in our personal, professional and political worlds.

We are now just about to launch our Trust Workshop Pilot. I don’t know how it will go, but I’m excited, optimistic and curious. I look forward to sharing more of this journey over the coming months!