Book Review: The Speed of Trust

The library at our university
In the autumn, if it's a good rainy day, you just might want to curl up with a good book and a hot drink within reach. While my moments for reading are grabbed on airplanes or in a few moments while eating breakfast (the couch and a nearby hot drink sound like heaven), I do manage to finish a book from time to time ... and to share it here, if it's good. Currently I'm finishing The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey. I highly recommend it, especially if you have any type of leadership role.

The title refers to Covey's premise that if you build good solid trust with those which whom you interact, you can get things done a lot faster. You come to agreement faster because you're not slowed down by everyone being self-protective and either arguing or checking on the other person to make sure they're not being conned or taken advantage of. Makes sense.

Covey begins by setting out four principles of credibility: integrity, intent, capabilities and results. These are core, he says, to building credibility and are the basis on which trust-building behaviors are built. He goes on to describe thirteen behaviors he's identified as trust-building. In a chapter for each, these behaviors range from speaking honestly, to creating transparency, to delivering results, to listening first ... and nine more.

I found myself both affirmed and challenged in reading this book. There's a lot I do in my leadership style that creates trust, but there's also room for improvement. I saw some areas in which I could change a behavior or two and make a big difference. It's not that any of us have ill intent, but sometimes we miss opportunities to improve in our clarity and open the landscape wide up for others to trust in our leadership. For example, I picked up on one simple tip he gave--stating intent--and have watched it work surprising quickly to bring positive results in small but significant ways.

Just one other note: While Covey focuses primarily on trust in the workplace, he really makes an effort to also show how the principles and behaviors can improve family life. If you're not a leader anywhere else, I suspect that slogging through the organizational stuff will still be worthwhile for the concepts you can also use at home.

A very readable book. Get it. Read it.