Broad-mindedness and Trust
by Pamela Coleman
September 2025
Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, encouraged his colleagues to broaden their interests, believing that breadth was more valuable than depth for creativity. He thought that diverse experiences, such as learning calligraphy, observing birds, or living abroad, help forge connections between seemingly unrelated principles or ideas. Jobs advocated for becoming an intellectual omnivore through curiosity. Essentially, Jobs promoted broad-mindedness.
I introduced Humility and Empathy as essential for building trust in parts one and two of my series on leadership trust (see blogs on www.cultural-coherence.com). Broad-mindedness is the third attribute. Being a broad-minded leader offers benefits. It creates space for everyone on the team, regardless of how different they may be from one another, and improves outcomes.
He’s a Gangbanger
A manager once approached me and whispered he’s a gangbanger, you know, while nodding toward a young man in the warehouse. At the time, I had never met anyone associated with a gang. However, I had read Tattoos on the Heart, a nonfiction book about LA gang culture, and Homeboy Industries, by Father Gregory Boyle. I was fascinated by this story and found myself listening to various talks by Father Boyle and former gang members.
The man in the warehouse was tall, nearly six feet three inches, and an imposing figure. His attendance was unreliable, and he was difficult to manage. Although I did not know him well, I had intervened a few times when his manager wanted to fire him, suggesting feedback instead.
One day, I bumped into him in the parking lot after he was a no-call/no-show for two workdays. Dude, I said, why are you sabotaging yourself? You cannot keep disappearing without letting us know. We are running a business. Your reliability stinks. He shuffled his feet and looked me in the eye. It doesn’t matter, he said, there’s nothing for me here. I understood what he was saying. Bologna. You know the warehouse inside and out. You have great communication skills, and you have the charisma to be a leader.
I may have been channeling Father Boyle because, in that moment, I did not see a gangbanger in front of me. I saw a young man with an uncertain future who needed some straight talk. Afterwards, his attendance and behavior began to improve. Years later, as I was leaving the organization, he tracked me down. I’d have gotten fired without you having my back. I realized he was telling me that he trusted me. I said, probably true. So don’t waste it. Show them what you can do. As of this writing, he has earned a promotion, established a LinkedIn account, and is completing online management courses. His achievements are his own!
Without the inspiration of Homeboy Industries and Father Boyle, I might not have been broad enough to see a young man rather than a gangbanger. As Steve Jobs said, being curious helps make connections that might not otherwise be made. And these connections help build trust.