--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People are much more likely to trust a…" description: "\"People are much more likely to trust a leader if they know he is compassionate and forgiving of mistakes.\" — Donald T. Phillips" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/donald-t-phillips-41695_compassionate_people-are-much-more-likely-to-trust-a-l_854815.jpg" --- # People are much more likely to trust a leader if they know… ![“People are much more likely to trust a leader if they know he is compassionate and forgiving of mistakes.” quote by Donald T. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/donald-t-phillips-41695_compassionate_people-are-much-more-likely-to-trust-a-l_854815.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/donald-t-phillips-41695_compassionate_people-are-much-more-likely-to-trust-a-l_854815.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/donald-t-phillips-41695_compassionate_people-are-much-more-likely-to-trust-a-l_854815.jpg) > “People are much more likely to trust a leader if they know he is compassionate and forgiving of mistakes.” [Donald T. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compassion and forgiveness in leaders build trust, encouraging followers to feel safe and valued. **In simple terms:** Kind leaders earn trust. Key Takeaway Show empathy and forgive mistakes to strengthen trust. Themes leadership trust compassion forgiveness Mood empathetic professional Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - team meetings - conflict resolution - performance reviews - crisis management Key Concepts organizational behavior emotional intelligence ethical leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance compassion with accountability? - When should forgiveness be limited? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on forgiveness may enable repeated errors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassionate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassionate/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) ## Related quotes > [Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-the-apostle/be-kind-and-compassionate-to-one-another-forgiving-each-other-just-as/) [Paul the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-the-apostle/) > [“I remember I’ve never shared tears with someone that longed for (me) and loved me; I didn’t know how to be compassionate.” (The truth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimnese-davids/i-remember-i-ve-never-shared-tears-with-someone-that-longed-for-me/) Chimnese Davids > [“we do know that she’s compassionate and eccentric—an excellent combination in a human being;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/we-do-know-that-she-s-compassionate-and-eccentric-an-excellent/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“We wind up in cells of our own making when we're not generous, loving, compassionate, and forgiving. Without love, we build dungeons in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sheen/we-wind-up-in-cells-of-our-own-making-when-we-re-not-generous-loving/) [Martin Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sheen/) > [Turning 50 is making me reflect on my life in a way that's more compassionate and forgiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/turning-50-is-making-me-reflect-on-my-life-in-a-way-that-s-more/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [Employees who can't trust their leader to be vulnerable are not going to be vulnerable and build trust with one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/employees-who-can-t-trust-their-leader-to-be-vulnerable-are-not-going/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [I don't know a lot about politics but I have great trust in him as leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geri-halliwell/i-don-t-know-a-lot-about-politics-but-i-have-great-trust-in-him-as/) [Geri Halliwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geri-halliwell/) > [When your child believes you really respect what he's feeling, he'll be much more likely to trust you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/when-your-child-believes-you-really-respect-what-he-s-feeling-he-ll/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [I trust my electors. I see them in weekly meetings. I'm their advocate, I'm there to take up their case. I'm not there to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/i-trust-my-electors-i-see-them-in-weekly-meetings-i-m-their-advocate/) [Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/) > [“Individuals are most likely to trust and cooperate freely with systems—whether they themselves win or lose by those systems—when fair process is observed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-review/individuals-are-most-likely-to-trust-and-cooperate-freely-with/) [Harvard Business Review](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-review/) > [Just to get serious about this thing, you know. One has to be compassionate. It's true that people are up against things, economically and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/just-to-get-serious-about-this-thing-you-know-one-has-to-be/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I don't know what compassionate conservative means. Does it mean cutting kids out of after school programs, Does it mean drilling in the arctic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-know-what-compassionate-conservative-means-does-it-mean/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“People are not always what they say there are - or even what they think they are. There is but One who sees us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gai-eaton/people-are-not-always-what-they-say-there-are-or-even-what-they-think/) Gai Eaton > [If you're having a hard time being compassionate to or forgiving of yourself or others, you repeat these four phrases directed to yourself or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marci-shimoff/if-you-re-having-a-hard-time-being-compassionate-to-or-forgiving-of/) [Marci Shimoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marci-shimoff/) > [God is compassionate and just, loving and holy, wrathful and forgiving. WE can't sideline His more difficult attributes to make room for the palatable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/god-is-compassionate-and-just-loving-and-holy-wrathful-and-forgiving/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) ## More by Donald T. Phillips > [It is the leader's role to lift followers out of their everyday selves up to a higher level of awareness, motivation, and commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/it-is-the-leader-s-role-to-lift-followers-out-of-their-everyday/) [Donald T. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/) > [If subordinates, or people in general, know that they genuinely have easy access to their leader, they'll tend to view the leader in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/if-subordinates-or-people-in-general-know-that-they-genuinely-have/) [Donald T. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/) > [“When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/when-the-conduct-of-men-is-designed-to-be-influenced-persuasion-kind/) [Donald T. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/) > [When you are in deep distress and cannot restrain some expression of it, sit down and write out a harsh letter venting your anger.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/when-you-are-in-deep-distress-and-cannot-restrain-some-expression-of/) [Donald T. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/) > [“Trust, honesty, and integrity are exceedingly important qualities because they so strongly affect followers. Most individuals need to trust others, especially their boss. Subordinates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/trust-honesty-and-integrity-are-exceedingly-important-qualities/) [Donald T. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/) > [Subordinates look for their bosses to be positive, in good humor, and cheerful. They aren't supposed to be emotional or have bad days. but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/subordinates-look-for-their-bosses-to-be-positive-in-good-humor-and/) [Donald T. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/) > [“The governor is like the boy I saw once at the launching of a ship. When everything was ready, they picked out a boy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/the-governor-is-like-the-boy-i-saw-once-at-the-launching-of-a-ship/) [Donald T. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/) > [But the plain fact of the matter is that, for any person to successfully lead others, he or she must deal with reality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/but-the-plain-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-for-any-person-to/) [Donald T. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/) > [“It is your duty to advance the aims of the organization and also to help those who serve it. If you once forfeit the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/it-is-your-duty-to-advance-the-aims-of-the-organization-and-also-to/) [Donald T. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/) [Explore all 10 Donald T. Phillips quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/) ## More Compassionate quotes > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [More compassionate mind, more sense of concern for other's well-being, is source of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/more-compassionate-mind-more-sense-of-concern-for-other-s-well-being/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [A hard heart makes for hard judgments; a compassionate heart understands the humanity of the one we presume to judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/a-hard-heart-makes-for-hard-judgments-a-compassionate-heart/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [“Seeing human suffering changes you. It either makes you compassionate or it makes you hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wilson-howarth/seeing-human-suffering-changes-you-it-either-makes-you-compassionate/) [Jane Wilson-Howarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wilson-howarth/) > [It has been hard to muster the resources to support fledgling democracies and to intervene on behalf of the most desperate. The AIDS orphans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/it-has-been-hard-to-muster-the-resources-to-support-fledgling/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [It is not enough to be compassionate, we must act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-not-enough-to-be-compassionate-we-must-act/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God is compassionate and just, loving and holy, wrathful and forgiving. WE can't sideline His more difficult attributes to make room for the palatable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/god-is-compassionate-and-just-loving-and-holy-wrathful-and-forgiving/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [ \[Chinese\] are a huge empire now, you'll soon be - in a few years two billion people in the world. So, you should be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/chinese-are-a-huge-empire-now-you-ll-soon-be-in-a-few-years-two/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I love the idea of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the beautiful stories about it, which I loved in Sunday school and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-love-the-idea-of-the-teachings-of-jesus-christ-and-the-beautiful/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [If the photographer is interested in the people in front of his lens, and if he is compassionate, it's already a lot. The instrument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/if-the-photographer-is-interested-in-the-people-in-front-of-his-lens/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) > [Those who grieve frequently find themselves alone. Missed is the laughter of children, the commotion of teenagers, and the tender, loving concern of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/those-who-grieve-frequently-find-themselves-alone-missed-is-the/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [The logical conclusion to a compassionate and respectful relationship to sentient animals is that we stop eating them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-balcombe/the-logical-conclusion-to-a-compassionate-and-respectful-relationship/) [Jonathan Balcombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-balcombe/) > [Nothing is more urgent than a serious, dare I say compassionate, debate as to where we are going at home and abroad. Technicians cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/nothing-is-more-urgent-than-a-serious-dare-i-say-compassionate-debate/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [“The kindness sent from one compassionate soul to another during the time of loss of one held so dear allows the sorrow-filled heart to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-friedenfeld/the-kindness-sent-from-one-compassionate-soul-to-another-during-the/) [Molly Friedenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-friedenfeld/) > [A strong person is not meant to be insensitive. He might be compassionate and loving. But, he relentlessly fights for the things he thinks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-strong-person-is-not-meant-to-be-insensitive-he-might-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 1,064 Compassionate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassionate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People are much more likely to trust a leader if they know he is compassionate and forgiving of mistakes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald T. Phillips" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/people-are-much-more-likely-to-trust-a-leader-if-they-know-he-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Compassionate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/people-are-much-more-likely-to-trust-a-leader-if-they-know-he-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/donald-t-phillips-41695_compassionate_people-are-much-more-likely-to-trust-a-l_854815.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/donald-t-phillips-41695_compassionate_people-are-much-more-likely-to-trust-a-l_854815.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/donald-t-phillips-41695_compassionate_people-are-much-more-likely-to-trust-a-l_854815.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People are much more likely to trust a leader if they know he is compassionate and forgiving of mistakes.” — Donald T. Phillips", "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": "Donald T. Phillips", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People are much more likely to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/people-are-much-more-likely-to-trust-a-leader-if-they-know-he-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/people-are-much-more-likely-to-trust-a-leader-if-they-know-he-is/#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 } } ] } ```