Competence can be taught. Character is harder to install after the fact, which is why the character of a trustee deserves more attention than it usually receives.
Seven traits come up again and again in the trustees who serve well over time.
1. Moral
A great trustee has a strong internal moral compass, and a practiced knowledge of natural law and objective morality. This is not abstract. A trustee holds legal title to property they do not benefit from; the restraint that requires is moral before it is legal.
2. Honorable
Their word is their bond. They honor their commitments, and they honor the spirit of the trust — not only the clauses they can be held to.
3. Trustworthy
They can be counted on to execute faithfully the duties of their office and to act in accordance with the wishes of the grantor as expressed in the indenture. Trustworthiness is demonstrated in ordinary administration long before it is tested by anything dramatic.
4. Committed
They are willing to put in the time and effort their duties require, and to make those duties a priority. A trustee who intends to be helpful but has no capacity is a trustee in name only.
5. Invested
They identify with and value the purpose of the trust, and are willing to invest trust resources wisely and effectively. Stewardship of assets is an active discipline, not passive custody.
6. Practiced in Equity
They can defend the trust and its assets, if required, by bringing equity to the matter and, if necessary, to the court. A trustee who has studied equity jurisprudence is in a very different position from one who has not.
7. Education-minded
They are a lifetime student — always willing to learn more and to grow professionally and spiritually. Trust administration changes, institutions change, and circumstances change. A trustee who stops learning eventually stops serving well.
Using the list
These traits are useful as an interview framework. Ask a candidate how they have handled a commitment that became costly. Ask what they have studied about equity. Ask how they would approach a decision the grantor never anticipated. The answers tell you far more than a résumé.
This is the standard our trustee vetting is built around, and it is the standard taught inside The Trustee Network for people who want to serve as trustees themselves.
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