Without Trust, We Can’t Thrive
In April 2023, I testified before the Government of Canada’s Heritage Committee during its investigation into the Safe Sport crisis. I was asked about safety in sport, but what I shared that day was not limited to athletes or teams. It was about how fear, control, and mistrust affect every system and every human being.
When people are afraid or in defence mode, they cannot thrive. The same is true in sport, in workplaces, and in communities.
Safety and trust are not opposites to performance. They are what make performance possible.
Trust is not a policy. It is a practice. It grows through mutual care, mutual interest, and a sense of mutual respect and dignity.
Without trust, we might still move forward, but the effort becomes heavier, and the journey takes more from us than it gives.
The work before us is twofold:
to face what is unfolding in the world,
and to look honestly at what is happening within and between us.
Because both shape who we are becoming, and the cultures we help to sustain or transform.
If this message resonates, you can explore more reflections here:
With sincere respect,
