Trust and Inspire

This book is for all readers, not just what we think of as managers. Not all managers are leaders, while not all leaders are managers.

*Spoiler Alert* - You may want to put your highlighter away for this reading book journey. Trust and Inspire has so many pearls of wisdom for leadership at work, at home, in your community and in your life as a whole with every turn of the page that you would have to highlight everything! This week I completed reading Trust & and Inspire from cover to cover. I was so excited to receive this much anticipated copy and I must say it was worth the wait. The care, authenticity and concern poured throughout each page in this book not only for leaders within companies and organizations, but for the betterment of our global society as a whole is remarkable. Breaking from the mold (dare I say default leadership mantra) of Command & Control culture of leadership to the Trust and Inspire model of leadership at the company and individual level is not a trivial undertaking. Stephen M.R. Covey and his team tackle the most daunting aspects of achieving success in this model by outlining what it means to be a leadership steward - modeling, trusting and inspiring. Many books have been written on the traits of a great leader or the emotional intelligence required to become an awesome leader, but very few have been so eloquently written which provides the level of powerful real life storytelling and business outcomes from across industries which we can all relate to. As Mr. Covey shared his lived experiences and lessons learned from his parents, as well as how that profoundly impacted his approach with his children, I found myself fully engaged with each chapter. For me personally, Trust and Inspire has re-grounded my belief that knowing who you are, having a set of core values which guides your leadership and impact on people, while focusing on the greater good of society is what the world needs to remember right now. The book's foundational theme of trust and inspiration, the relevant quotes from recognized leaders from around the world, coupled with the contrast/comparison tables between the Command & Control style vs. the Trust & Inspire model interspersed throughout the book, really allows for clear roadmap of how to improve the way in which you can transform your leadership with purpose. Remember that to become a Trust & Inspire Leader it always starts with you. I will share this small excerpt from Trust and Inspire with you (hopefully I don't get in trouble here): "To serve others and care for their well-being -- even if doing so doesn't appear to benefit us in any way -- is perhaps the highest form of humanity. Interestingly it also happens to produce better outcomes. Leadership is stewardship, and leaders are stewards." Regardless of your industry, your job function or your current situation, I highly recommend Trust & Inspire as one of those books that will have a profound impact on your life, the life of your family, your friends and your colleagues, if you embrace and apply the wisdom which this book imparts. Happy reading!

Today’s leadership, as practiced, often includes an approach borrowed from the Industrial Age and popularized by Frederick Winslow Taylor’s “scientific management.” It seeks to have a leader in complete “command and control” of all aspects of production. However, in the postmodern age, interdisciplinary knowledge workers often conduct every step along the way, and any leader does not and cannot know every step of the journey. Coupled with human nature, command and control tactics inhibit productivity often and limit creativity to one mind. Instead, leadership expert Stephen Covey suggests a paradigm of “trust and inspire” take its place. It promises to unleash creative contributions in all a team, not just one authoritarian leader. He illustrates and extrapolates what that spiritual approach looks like in every domain of professional and family life. I first experienced “trust and inspire” leadership techniques at a church while in college 25 years ago. It changed how I approach work and life. I intuitively grasped the approach, but the church never explicitly taught the principles. In independent reading since, I’ve learned how to apply this mindset, popular in contemporary leadership guides, to many elements of my life. Books like this one give me more concrete images to embody this approach to those around me. Covey places “command and control” tactics as a relic of a prior age. I somewhat agree. While Taylor’s “scientific management” broke new ground in his time during the early 20th century, it is not the only source of “command and control.” In many ways, the journey consists of overcoming human nature, not just an older set of habits. Overcoming that type of tactics takes a lifetime of practice. Despite my best intentions, I find myself getting lazy at moments in life by treating people as things to manage. Books like this prod me towards a better way. To Covey, everyone has the opportunity to be a leader, not just those in positions of authority. Even those in highly regulated jobs can influence the attitudes of those around them. For him, “trust and inspire” leadership is a spiritual approach for every individual. Therefore, this book is for the broad audience of the general public. He’s not super-fuzzy as in religious spirituality, but he certainly maintains that this relational approach can benefit each one of us. I certainly have found its benefit in my life and would encourage anyone to explore giving it a go.

I like this book because it was a great inspirational book for someone who is looking for to be into leadership.

This will change the world, starting with me. I just bought several more copies to share with my leadership team at work. This book is to Leadership Development what 7 Habits is to personal effectiveness. It encapsulates so many principles and timeless truths about how we treat people, and what different philosophies and mindsets will undoubtedly lead to. It applies to business, family, friends, direct and indirect leadership, you name it. The book doesn’t just review all of this great “what”, but it also dives deeply into the “how. I had no idea how much “my style is getting in the way of my intent”. There are countless examples of today’s top leaders doing things right, in ways that have been less than mainstream. It shows in no uncertain terms the success of doings what’s right in any association or relationship. I appreciated that it used not just professional examples, but also many personal ones, with insights and applications that guide ALL aspects of life. Thank you David, Stephen, McKinley, Gary and everyone at the FranklinCovey Leadership team for your efforts that went into this. Today, the world has an amazing new tool to change for the better starting with every person who reads and models the principles in this book!

Great book with great content

Received the book today but Wet!

ich habe mir beide Bücher bestellt Trust & Inspire = Speed of Trust Der Inhalt ist fast identisch und sogar die Storys sind in beiden Büchen die selbe Speed of Trust ist definitiv das bessere Buch. Gerade Trust & Inspire fühlt sich so an als möchte der Autor unbedingt 300 Seiten füllen. Ich rede nicht von wichtigen Wiederholungen, sondern einfach wertlosen Zeilen Inhalt und man fragt sich ständig "Kommt da jetzt noch was oder breche ich ab".

Great concept of leading to the team with trust and inspiration. My sincere thanks to the author.

Worthwhile read

Was immediately inspired to shift my leadership skills to more closely align with this leadership practice.