--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Trust comes before strength, and it…" description: "\"Trust comes before strength, and it becomes a conduit of influence. Your strength is a little bit threatening before people trust you.\" — Amy Cuddy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/amy-cuddy-13505_influence_trust-comes-before-strength-and-it-becom_2490749.png" --- # Trust comes before strength, and it becomes a conduit of… ![“Trust comes before strength, and it becomes a conduit of influence. Your strength is a little bit threatening before people trust you.” quote by Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/amy-cuddy-13505_influence_trust-comes-before-strength-and-it-becom_2490749.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/amy-cuddy-13505_influence_trust-comes-before-strength-and-it-becom_2490749.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/amy-cuddy-13505_influence_trust-comes-before-strength-and-it-becom_2490749.png) > “Trust comes before strength, and it becomes a conduit of influence. Your strength is a little bit threatening before people trust you.” [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trust is the foundation that transforms personal power into influence, while perceived threat can hinder that trust. **In simple terms:** Trust turns power into influence. Key Takeaway Build trust before asserting strength. Themes trust influence power perception Mood confident strategic Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - leadership - team building - negotiations - public speaking Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you demonstrate trustworthiness before showing strength? - What signals reduce perceived threat? A Different Perspective If others feel threatened, trust erodes quickly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) ## Related quotes > [Through pain comes strength and through strength comes joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/through-pain-comes-strength-and-through-strength-comes-joy/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [The Spartans say that any army may win while it still has legs under it; the real test comes when all strength is fled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/the-spartans-say-that-any-army-may-win-while-it-still-has-legs-under/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [When it comes to strength, I reckon pound for pound I'm one of the strongest in the whole UFC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-volkanovski/when-it-comes-to-strength-i-reckon-pound-for-pound-i-m-one-of-the/) [Alexander Volkanovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-volkanovski/) > [Lord knows Dreams are hard to follow But don't let anyone Tear them away Hold on There will be tomorrow In time you'll find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/lord-knows-dreams-are-hard-to-follow-but-don-t-let-anyone-tear-them-2/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [From the Eucharist comes strength to live the Christian life and zeal to share that life with others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/from-the-eucharist-comes-strength-to-live-the-christian-life-and-zeal/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [Freedom comes from strength and self-reliance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-murkowski/freedom-comes-from-strength-and-self-reliance/) [Lisa Murkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-murkowski/) > [“I don't know where it comes from, but you will find the strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-nunweiler/i-don-t-know-where-it-comes-from-but-you-will-find-the-strength/) Pete Nunweiler > [The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within - strength, courage, dignity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-dee/the-kind-of-beauty-i-want-most-is-the-hard-to-get-kind-that-comes/) [Ruby Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-dee/) > [Out of resistance comes strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/out-of-resistance-comes-strength/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Let a woman have her place, because as you provide foundation for her, she provides a foundation for you. And through that vulnerability comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shemar-moore/let-a-woman-have-her-place-because-as-you-provide-foundation-for-her/) [Shemar Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shemar-moore/) > [“There is no such thing as a negative experience, only opportunities to grow, learn and advance along the road of self-mastery. From struggle comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-negative-experience-only-opportunities-to/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“To those who struggle comes strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-sorenson/to-those-who-struggle-comes-strength/) [Toni Sorenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-sorenson/) > [“The trust comes from knowing that we are safe, that our colleagues will not judge us for failures but will encourage us to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/the-trust-comes-from-knowing-that-we-are-safe-that-our-colleagues/) [Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/) > [“Trust comes by earning it, not expecting it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kacvinsky/trust-comes-by-earning-it-not-expecting-it/) [Katie Kacvinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kacvinsky/) > [Trust comes only with genuine effort, never with a lick and a promise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-de-pree/trust-comes-only-with-genuine-effort-never-with-a-lick-and-a-promise/) [Max De Pree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-de-pree/) ## More by Amy Cuddy > [Your body language shapes who you are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/your-body-language-shapes-who-you-are/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [“A warm, trustworthy person who is also strong elicits admiration, but only after you’ve established trust does your strength become a gift rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/a-warm-trustworthy-person-who-is-also-strong-elicits-admiration-but/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [There is no one who is present all the time, but you work on becoming present when you are interacting with people who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/there-is-no-one-who-is-present-all-the-time-but-you-work-on-becoming/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [I sometimes work with a communications and media training firm called KNP Communications. It's nice to bring the research to the practitioners; I learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/i-sometimes-work-with-a-communications-and-media-training-firm-called/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [When we close ourselves off, we're not just closing ourselves off to other people, we're closing ourselves off from ourselves and impeding ourselves. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/when-we-close-ourselves-off-we-re-not-just-closing-ourselves-off-to/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [“the root of our human frustration and daily anxiety is our tendency to live for the future, which is an abstraction,” and that “our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/the-root-of-our-human-frustration-and-daily-anxiety-is-our-tendency/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [That's the dream scenario: when people approach these stressful situations not focused on that concrete outcome but just focused on being there and being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/that-s-the-dream-scenario-when-people-approach-these-stressful/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [Practice smiling by holding a pencil between your teeth for twenty minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/practice-smiling-by-holding-a-pencil-between-your-teeth-for-twenty/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [I hear from so many women who really started to pay attention to it at all times and stopped, you know, touching their faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/i-hear-from-so-many-women-who-really-started-to-pay-attention-to-it/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [Too many of us suffer from pervasive feelings of personal powerlessness. We have a terrible habit of obstructing our own paths forward, especially at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/too-many-of-us-suffer-from-pervasive-feelings-of-personal/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [You have to buy what you're selling. If you don't buy what you're selling, nobody will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/you-have-to-buy-what-you-re-selling-if-you-don-t-buy-what-you-re/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [Trust is the conduit for influence; it's the medium through which ideas travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/trust-is-the-conduit-for-influence-it-s-the-medium-through-which/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [When you have a novel, exciting finding, that gets attention. People are going to push back, and that's honestly how science should work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/when-you-have-a-novel-exciting-finding-that-gets-attention-people-are/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [I'm good enough; I'm smart enough. Self-affirmation is where people list their core values. These are things that really make them who they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/i-m-good-enough-i-m-smart-enough-self-affirmation-is-where-people/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [The whole body-mind thing comes into play, when you are feeling that self-doubt and your body is not going to help you if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/the-whole-body-mind-thing-comes-into-play-when-you-are-feeling-that/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) [Explore all 50 Amy Cuddy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) ## More Influence quotes > [My coach, Robert Allen, helped me a lot. He had more influence on my growth as a player than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamarcus-aldridge/my-coach-robert-allen-helped-me-a-lot-he-had-more-influence-on-my/) [LaMarcus Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamarcus-aldridge/) > [Life is not about how much you have but how much you have affect others life positively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-about-how-much-you-have-but-how-much-you-have-affect/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [Treason implies responsibility for something, control over something, influence upon something, knowledge of something. Treason in our time is a proof of genius. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/treason-implies-responsibility-for-something-control-over-something/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [... a fellow can't predict what he will pick up in the form of influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-fellow-can-t-predict-what-he-will-pick-up-in-the-form-of-influence/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [We believe a scientist because he can substantiate his remarks, not because he is eloquent and forcible in his enunciation. In fact, we distrust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-a-richards/we-believe-a-scientist-because-he-can-substantiate-his-remarks-not/) [I. A. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-a-richards/) > [It seemed to me that the human beings I met reacted pretty much the same to the same stimuli. Different idioms,yes. Circumstances and conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/it-seemed-to-me-that-the-human-beings-i-met-reacted-pretty-much-the/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [Every man is a missionary, now and forever, for good or for evil, whether he intends or designs it or not. He may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chalmers/every-man-is-a-missionary-now-and-forever-for-good-or-for-evil/) [Thomas Chalmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chalmers/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [Influences come from everywhere. I don't really feel like I had too many influences for the first record because I grew up listening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avril-lavigne/influences-come-from-everywhere-i-don-t-really-feel-like-i-had-too/) [Avril Lavigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avril-lavigne/) > [It was both necessary and desirable for us to be so strong at sea that no Sea Power could attack us without risk, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-von-bulow/it-was-both-necessary-and-desirable-for-us-to-be-so-strong-at-sea/) [Bernhard von Bulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-von-bulow/) > [Obligation is what's leading us to toward successful, and what keeps us moving towards the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wazim-shaw/obligation-is-what-s-leading-us-to-toward-successful-and-what-keeps/) [Wazim Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wazim-shaw/) [Browse all 7,121 Influence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Trust comes before strength, and it becomes a conduit of influence. Your strength is a little bit threatening before people trust you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amy Cuddy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/trust-comes-before-strength-and-it-becomes-a-conduit-of-influence/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Influence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/trust-comes-before-strength-and-it-becomes-a-conduit-of-influence/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/amy-cuddy-13505_influence_trust-comes-before-strength-and-it-becom_2490749.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/amy-cuddy-13505_influence_trust-comes-before-strength-and-it-becom_2490749.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/amy-cuddy-13505_influence_trust-comes-before-strength-and-it-becom_2490749.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Trust comes before strength, and it becomes a conduit of influence. Your strength is a little bit…” — Amy Cuddy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Amy Cuddy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Trust comes before strength, and it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/trust-comes-before-strength-and-it-becomes-a-conduit-of-influence/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/trust-comes-before-strength-and-it-becomes-a-conduit-of-influence/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```