The Speed Of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything

Covey explores self-trust as the first wave of trust, asserting the need for personal credibility to build trust with others. He breaks down credibility into four cores: integrity, intent, capabilities, and results. Being honest, transparent, skilled, and results-oriented nurtures self-trust. Covey underscores that minor failings in keeping personal commitments can erode self-trust and affect one’s credibility, impacting interpersonal and organizational relationships. Crucially, a leader’s credibility significantly influences organizational outcomes.

Covey provides an anecdote about trust-building measures in parenting to illustrate the long-term benefits of credibility and trust. He also underlines the importance of personal credibility in leadership and professional contexts, introducing an exercise for evaluating it in a work environment. Participants categorize colleagues based on their trust levels, demonstrating how quickly trust or distrust forms and prompting reflection on personal credibility.

Covey then presents a self-analysis questionnaire, offering readers a way to assess their personal credibility based on the four cores. Integrity and Intent, associated with character, involve honesty, congruence between actions and values, and understanding one’s motives and behaviors. Capabilities and results, linked to competence, involve skills that inspire confidence in others and a track record of accomplishment. As all four cores are necessary for trust and credibility, Covey encourages readers to reflect on their questionnaire scores, recognize their strengths, and pinpoint areas for enhancement. He emphasizes that these cores apply both at individual and organizational levels.

Covey contends that integrity consists of at least four elements—honesty, congruence, courage, and humility. Congruence entails a harmony between actions, values, and beliefs. It’s about delivering on promises, exhibiting consistency between words and deeds, and being the same person in both public and private life. This congruence becomes the foundation upon which others can place their trust.

Next, Covey delves into humility as a facet of leadership and an essential element of integrity. Drawing on Jim Collins’s study in Good to Great, he presents the idea that leaders who display humility, prioritize principles, and appreciate teamwork are often more effective than their ego-driven counterparts. Covey emphasizes that humility entails recognizing one’s limitations and understanding that success is a collaborative effort. Humility is not a sign of weakness; rather, it’s an expression of respect for time-tested principles and the acceptance of help when needed.

Covey then focuses on courage as a key component of integrity. He portrays courage as the audacity to do what is morally right, even under challenging circumstances. Citing instances of individuals standing against wrongdoing, he argues that such courage inspires others and is vital for maintaining integrity.

To boost one’s integrity, Covey recommends a process of self-assessment and feedback solicitation from others. He proposes questions concerning one’s honesty, congruence, humility, courage, adherence to personal values, and capacity to fulfill commitments. Stressing that everyone has room for improvement, he suggests that enhancing one’s integrity can bolster one’s credibility, which in turn accelerates efficiency and reduces costs in every aspect of life.

Covey explores the relevance of intent in trust building. Using an anecdote from his family’s past, Covey illustrates the potential misunderstandings that can arise from misinterpreting intent. He posits that intent is a significant factor in how people perceive the actions of individuals and institutions, as evident in contrasting trust levels for non-governmental organizations and politicians. Covey underlines the critical role of declaring one’s intent to help align perception of one’s actions with one’s actual intentions.

Covey defines intent as a fusion of motive, agenda, and behavior, with the motive of genuine caring fostering the most trust. The chapter prompts readers to reflect on their intent and how others might perceive it. Covey introduces the concept of “agenda,” which stems from motive, and emphasizes that the most trust-building agenda seeks mutual benefit. In his view, the most credible behavior, inspired by a caring motive and a mutual benefit agenda, is acting in others’ best interest.

Covey expands on the concept of caring and its pivotal role in trust building, arguing that genuine care can enhance performance and trust. However, insincere caring can significantly damage trust. He introduces the “trustee standard,” which embodies the principle of acting in the best interest of others, a cornerstone of trust. Despite the importance of good intent, Covey also warns against bad execution, emphasizing the need for behavior to reflect true motives and agendas accurately.

Covey then introduces three accelerators to refine intent: examining and refining motives, declaring intent, and choosing an abundance mindset. Covey encourages readers to use the “five whys” technique to scrutinize their motives and ensure they are guided by caring and seeking mutual benefits. Declaring intent can prevent misinterpretation, particularly in new relationships, while an abundance mindset—the belief that there’s enough for everyone—can boost credibility and trust.

By aligning intent with principles of caring, contributing, and seeking mutual benefits, Covey asserts, one can increase trust and make one’s actions more believable and credible.

Covey defines capabilities as the unique blend of talents, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and style (acronym “TASKS”) that empowers one to perform effectively and contribute positively. Being armed with the right capabilities fuels self-confidence and earns the trust of others. However, Covey emphasizes that capabilities must be continually updated and enhanced to keep pace with the rapidly evolving socioeconomic landscape; otherwise, credibility may suffer.

Talent, the innate gifts and strengths one possesses, needs to be recognized, honed, and utilized effectively. Attitude, or the paradigms and perceptions influencing one’s actions, has a profound impact on credibility, with negative mindsets like entitlement significantly depleting it. Skills and knowledge, or learned proficiencies and understanding, need to be continually updated and applied not just for self-betterment but with an intent to teach others. Finally, style, the unique approach and personality one brings to the table, can enhance credibility and foster trust if aligned appropriately with one’s project and goals.

Covey utilizes real-world examples, such as Eugene O’Kelly, Tiger Woods, and Michael Dell, to underscore the roles of attitude, continuous improvement, and constructive feedback in shaping capabilities and building trust. He warns against the “curse of competence,” where excelling in an area one lacks passion for leads to complacency and stunted growth. He also stresses the importance of aligning TASKS with professional roles, highlighting research indicating widespread mismatches. Correcting these mismatches could optimize effectiveness and enhance trust.

Covey shares three steps to boost capabilities and build trust: Run with one’s strengths and purpose, keep oneself relevant, and know where one is going. These, he argues, are vital in navigating an ever-changing economic landscape. In addition, he introduces “trust abilities” as key components of competence that can enhance one’s capacity to establish and extend trust.

Covey shares experiences from his time as CEO of the Covey Leadership Center, showcasing how a company turnaround bolstered trust with their bankers. He also underscores how results are fundamental to an individual or organization’s credibility, with their absence leading to loss of trust regardless of intent, capabilities, or integrity.

Covey discusses how companies like General Electric handle employees who produce results but don’t align with company values. He suggests that such individuals should either be guided or dismissed. He emphasizes that trust is influenced by past, present, and anticipated performance: track record, current output, and future ability to deliver, respectively.

Covey stresses that not only results but also the methods used to achieve them shape future outcomes and team attitudes. He presents various case studies of companies that underwent transformations, emphasizing that open, transparent, and generous approaches toward employees foster trust, even in challenging times. He also argues against the fallacy of equating success solely with financial performance and underscores the importance of recognizing multiple aspects of success. Covey insists that past performance should not be the only determinant for future opportunities and that individuals should have a chance to learn from their mistakes. Further, he suggests that everyone’s role in achieving results is crucial and must be appreciated. He provides three strategies to improve results, including taking responsibility for outcomes rather than activities.

Covey emphasizes this results-oriented approach and illustrates its effectiveness with stories from Sony, Chrysler, and Johnson & Johnson. He discusses the Pygmalion effect, explaining that positive expectations lead to better outcomes and enhance credibility. He also insists on the importance of finishing strong, suggesting it as a remedy for a culture of quitting.

The chapter concludes by summarizing the four cores—integrity, intent, capabilities, and results—that collectively foster trust and credibility. Covey states that these cores are visible to others and significantly influence one’s trustworthiness. He argues that understanding these cores can help individuals improve trust in their personal and professional lives.