This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. I trust my boss! I trust Apple Computer! But what does that mean…why do you trust them? It has been said that trust is the glue that holds people, organizations and societies together. Without trust, relationships become rigid, less efficient and economies are slowed. Yet, despite all the studies and platitudes, trust may be one of the most misunderstood, misinterpreted and misapplied aspects of human and organizational relationships. Based upon years of his award-winning research in psychology and business, Jim Davis explains what trust is along with its associated risks. He will explain what can be done to influence how people trust you by nurturing three traits others perceive about you. Davis describes how he has worked with organizations and individuals throughout the world to improve trusting relationships.

James H. Davis is a professor of strategic management and the chairman of the Management Department at Utah State University. Prior to USU, he was the John F. O’Shaughnessy Professor of Family Enterprises and professor of strategic management at the University of Notre Dame. He earned his PhD in corporate strategy from the University of Iowa. He has worked with many major national and multinational corporations on strategic planning and company positioning. His research was recognized by The Academy of Management Review as the most influential theory of the decade of the 1990s. He is the author of two books: Social Capital: Multidisciplinary Perspectives and Growth Simply: The three-circle model. He has been a secondary education teacher, a school psychologist, private therapist and a regional mental health coordinator for the Head Start Program. Jim also plays woodwinds and has performed in many of the great concert halls and cathedrals in Europe and North America. He loves hiking, fishing and running—recently completing a 200+ mile Ragnar relay— and enjoys spending time his children and the love of his life, Jennifer.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)