The Foundation of Success: Character, Trust, and Integrity

If I had to name the two people who’ve shaped my thinking the most, it would be Warren Buffett and Zig Ziglar.

Buffett gave me the mental models.

Zig gave me the mindset.

Lately, I’ve been consumed with a big question:

What does success look like in the age of AI?

What does business, commerce, and credibility look like in a world where synthetic intelligence can do more, faster, and cheaper?

It’s easy to get caught up in the future.

But sometimes the best way forward is to go back.

So I’ve been revisiting Born to Win, Zig Ziglar’s classic seminar from the 1970s. And in the middle of it, he drops something timeless:

The three foundations of success are:

Character. Trust. Integrity.

As a first-principles thinker, this struck me hard because this is the foundation.

This is the base layer of everything else we build—in business and in life.

And it’s just as true now as it was then.

In sales, leadership, and relationships, trust is the ultimate lever.

But trust doesn’t come from charm. It comes from character.

That means doing what you say you’ll do.

Telling the truth even when it costs you.

Refusing to cut corners just to hit a number.

Integrity isn’t a buzzword—it’s the glue that holds reputational capital together.

And reputational capital is the only kind that compounds for life.

Zig’s Success Triangle works because it has a moral foundation. You can’t shortcut it. (And I hate shortcuts.)

Remove the base, and the whole thing collapses. Build on it—and anything is possible.

Now, you could argue that some rotten people have become wildly successful. Sure. There are exceptions to every rule.

But here’s the thing:

Assume you’re not the exception.

You’ll get farther—and sleep better—by building on character, trust, and integrity.

That’s the kind of success that actually lasts.