book review the speed of trust

The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything

Stephen m.r. covey , rebecca r. merrill  ( contributor ).

For business leaders and public figures in any arena, The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in our every transaction and relationship—from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction—and how to establish trust immediately so that you and your organization can forego the time–killing, bureaucratic check–and–balance processes so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Stephen M.R. Covey

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The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything Paperback – 5 Feb. 2008

Purchase options and add-ons.

For business leaders and public figures in any arena, The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in our every transaction and relationship—from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction—and how to establish trust immediately so that you and your organization can forego the time–killing, bureaucratic check–and–balance processes so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.

• Print length 384 pages
• Language English
• Publication date 5 Feb. 2008
• Dimensions 13.97 x 2.54 x 21.43 cm
• ISBN-10 1416549005
• ISBN-13 978-1416549000
• See all details

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Product description

About the author, excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved..

Copyright © 2006 CoveyLink, LLC

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Free Press; Reprint edition (5 Feb. 2008)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1416549005
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1416549000
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 2.54 x 21.43 cm
• 3,761 in Business Life (Books)

About the author

Stephen m.r. covey.

Stephen M. R. Covey is the New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Speed of Trust, which has been translated into 22 languages and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. He is also the author of the newly released Wall Street Journal bestseller, Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others, which was named as the #1 Leadership Book of 2022 by the Outstanding Work of Literature Awards. Stephen brings to his writings the perspective of a practitioner, as he is the former President & CEO of the Covey Leadership Center, where he increased shareholder value by 67 times and grew the company to become the largest leadership development firm in the world. A Harvard MBA, Stephen co-founded and currently leads FranklinCovey’s Global Speed of Trust Practice. He serves on numerous boards, including the Government Leadership Advisory Council, and he has been recognized with the lifetime Achievement Award for “Top Thought Leaders in Trust” from the advocacy group, Trust Across America/Trust Around the World. Stephen is a highly sought-after international speaker who has taught trust and leadership in 57 countries to business, government, military, education, healthcare, and NGO entities.

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The SPEED of Trust

The one thing that changes everything.

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Table of Contents

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About The Book

About the author.

Stephen M. R. Covey is the New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Speed of Trust , which has been translated into twenty-two languages and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. He is also the author of the newly released Wall Street Journal bestseller, Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others , which was named as the #1 Leadership Book of 2022 by the Outstanding Work of Literature Awards. Stephen brings to his writings the perspective of a practitioner, as he is the former President and CEO of the Covey Leadership Center, where he increased shareholder value by sixty-seven times and grew the company to become the largest leadership development firm in the world. A Harvard MBA, Stephen cofounded and currently leads FranklinCovey’s Global Speed of Trust Practice. He serves on numerous boards, including the Government Leadership Advisory Council, and he has been recognized with the lifetime Achievement Award for “Top Thought Leaders in Trust” from the advocacy group, Trust Across America/Trust Around the World. Stephen is a highly sought-after international speaker who has taught trust and leadership in fifty-seven countries to business, government, military, education, healthcare, and NGO entities.

Product Details

• Publisher: Free Press (February 5, 2008)
• Length: 384 pages
• ISBN13: 9781416549000

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• Business & Economics > Leadership
• Business & Economics > Decision-Making & Problem Solving
• Self-Help > Personal Growth > Success

Raves and Reviews

Covey convincingly validates our experience at Dell -- that trust has a bottom-line impact on results and that when trust goes up, speed goes up while costs come down. This principle applies not only in our professional relationships with customers, business partners, and team members but also in our personal relationships, which makes this insightful book all the more valuable." -- Kevin Rollins, President and CEO, Dell Inc.

"This book can change lives. Covey helps us understand how to nurture and inspire immediate trust in every encounter, which is the foundation for true and lasting success in life. A very interesting and enlightening read." -- Larry King

"Covey brilliantly focuses on that overlooked bedrock of democratic capitalism -- trust. Like the air we breathe, we too often take this critical intangible for granted. As Covey makes clear, we do so at our ultimate competitive peril." -- Steve Forbes, President and CEO, Forbes

"Want to be an irresistible positive force? Combine personal responsibility with compassion and respect for others. Want to know how to do this perfectly? Read The Speed of Trust." -- Dr. Laura Schlessinger, internationally syndicated radio host and author of The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage

"Covey's book underscores the single most important factor -- the substrate -- that will determine the success (or failure) of any organization in the 21st century: TRUST. This is a powerful read: brave, imaginative, amazingly prescient, and backed up by empirical and analytical heft. A must-read for anyone in a position of responsibility, from a support group to a global corporation." -- Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Business Administration, USC, and author of On Becoming a Leader

"This much-needed book provides many practical examples of how greater trust produces better results, at less cost, sooner -- at work and in life. It's invaluable." -- Spencer Johnson, M.D., author of Who Moved My Cheese? and coauthor of The One Minute Manager

"Stephen Covey's work changed the world. I'd bet the price of this exciting book and more that his son, Stephen M. R. Covey, will have at least as much impact. The Speed of Trust is an amazing book, starting with its novel and powerful title -- my greatest wonder was why it hadn't been written before. From the epigraph -- 'Speed happens when people truly trust each other' -- to the closing bell, this is a book worth savoring -- and implementing." -- Tom Peters

"When I received this book and was asked to read it and offer my comments, my first impulse was, 'I don't have the time.' However, as I read the foreword, then the first few chapters, I could not put it down. It is exactly what business leaders need today. This book gets to the core roots of ethical behavior and integrity and how 'trusted' leaders and organizations do things better, faster, and at lower cost. Everyone should make the time to read this book." -- Nolan D. Archibald, Chairman and CEO, The Black & Decker Corporation

"I am happier when I am trusted, and I bet you are too. Covey has done a masterful job teaching that trust is conditioned on our behavior and that we can consciously shift our behavior to deserve trust. This one realization can change your life. This is the best book by a Covey since 7 Habits." -- Richard Carlson, Ph.D., author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and Don't Get Scrooged

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The Speed Of Trust Summary

1-Sentence-Summary:   The Speed Of Trust not only explains the economics of trust, but also shows you how to cultivate great trust in yourself, your relationships, and the three kinds of stakeholders you’ll deal with when you’re running a company.

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Audio Summary

Listen to the audio of this summary with a free reading.fm account*:

The one thing that changes everything. That’s the byline of The Speed Of Trust , and it couldn’t be more accurate.

Since The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People was my biggest hit with Four Minute Books so far, I thought I’d give another one of Stephen Covey ‘s books a go.

Look closely and you’ll see that this book was written by Stephen. M . R. Covey , not Stephen R. Covey. His son carries forward his legacy.

After running the Covey Leadership center as CEO and growing it 80x in value, he now runs his own leadership institute about trust, CoveyLink.

Here are 3 great lessons from his book about trust:

• Trust increases speed and thus lowers costs in businesses.
• You first have to trust yourself, because trust is similar to confidence.
• Societal trust is especially important for businesses to cultivate by contributing.

I hope you’re ready to be honest, because I’m honestly ready to learn some!

If you want to save this summary for later, download the free PDF and read it whenever you want.

Lesson 1: Trust increases speed and thus lowers costs in businesses.

I bet you, like a lot of people, trust in FedEx to deliver over night. And they do.

But did you know that your trust in them is actually a major part of why they’re so fast in the first place?

Since many people trust in FedEx to deliver the next day, FedEx gets hundreds of thousands of packages and orders to deliver each day – people buy, and they buy fast.

The speed with which FedEx receives incoming orders at scale is what endows it with the flow of financial capital it needs to not only pay for overnight drivers or book special air freight services, but also create and employ systems that will lower the average cost per delivery.

Vice versa, after 9/11 the average airport security check took an hour and a half, as opposed to 30 minutes before. The trust in airplane passengers was gone, making the whole process of scanning them slower, leading to increased costs for personnel and machinery.

Covey says this adds a component of trust to the strategy vs. execution formula, which can either be a trust tax, or a tax dividend.

More trust leads to faster results, less trust to slower progress.

Lesson 2: You first have to trust yourself, because trust is similar to confidence.

Trust is very much like confidence, which in turn is created when competence and character come together. It asks the question of how much you believe in a person to follow through on their intentions.

The most important person to trust then, is yourself.

Because when you don’t believe that you’ll do what you say you will, how can you possibly bestow that trust on others?

Covey says there are four cores to developing great trust in yourself.

• Capabilities

Integrity is about being honest whenever you get a chance. Have a chance to admit you really were lucky with that last goal you scored during soccer practice? Do it. Making even the smallest commitment and keeping it will also help – it might be as simple as stopping to hit the snooze button.

Intent comes from questioning your motives and developing admirable ones. Forget “I wanna be rich” as a mantra, shoot for work that’s meaningful and you’ll be much better off.

Capabilities is all about developing skills, even when you don’t have to. Deliberate practice will eventually make you good at what you do and you can draw confidence and trust from that.

Results is then all about building a track record that you can look back upon as a confirmation of the trust you put in yourself – I for example have published 55 days in a row on Four Minute Books.

Lesson 3: If you run a business, try to develop societal trust through contribution.

Covey says there are 3 kinds of stakeholders, with which your business must build trust in different ways. The most striking one to me was the societal trust you build with stakeholders who are neither employees nor customers, but just part of your company’s environment.

Giving back to those around you will earn you the respect and admiration of society, which you might desperately need one day.

For example when Rodney King was assaulted by four policemen, the incident sparked the 1992 LA riots , with over 50 deaths, 2000 injured and close to 4,000 buildings burned and destroyed.

Out of all buildings, 5 McDonald’s restaurants were left unscathed – they had a history of supporting their community with basketballs for teenagers to shoot some hoops, free cups of coffee for the homeless, literacy programs and jobs for the less privileged.

This is the kind of marketing you can’t manufacture, the kind that’s not even marketing.

It’s trust.

The Speed Of Trust Review

As someone who gets physically ill when they’re not honest, I can wholeheartedly support the ideas from this book. An article from James Altucher about being honest  is what really turned me into someone who’s so honest it hurts sometimes.

I can’t stand myself when I don’t live according to what I believe and have gotten sick several times because of it.

Trust is a great foundation to build your house on, whether it’s your private house or a huge corporation.

The blinks are short and The Speed Of Trust goes much deeper, but if you’re all new to the concept of trust in business, they provide a great intro to the subject.

Who would I recommend The Speed Of Trust summary to?

The 17 year old with lots of intent and integrity, but not enough skills to be 100% confident, the 41 year old accountant, who ran her business strictly based on numbers so far, and anyone who dislikes McDonald’s.

Last Updated on July 27, 2022

Niklas Göke

Niklas Göke is an author and writer whose work has attracted tens of millions of readers to date. He is also the founder and CEO of Four Minute Books, a collection of over 1,000 free book summaries teaching readers 3 valuable lessons in just 4 minutes each. Born and raised in Germany, Nik also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration & Engineering from KIT Karlsruhe and a Master’s Degree in Management & Technology from the Technical University of Munich. He lives in Munich and enjoys a great slice of salami pizza almost as much as reading — or writing — the next book — or book summary, of course!

*Four Minute Books participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising commissions by linking to Amazon. We also participate in other affiliate programs, such as Blinkist, MindValley, Audible, Audiobooks, Reading.FM, and others. Our referral links allow us to earn commissions (at no extra cost to you) and keep the site running. Thank you for your support.

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The Speed of Trust: Summary Review

This is a summary review of The Speed of Trust containing key details about the book.

What is The Speed of Trust About?

"The Speed of Trust" is a book that explores how trust impacts personal and professional relationships, and how to cultivate and maintain trust in order to build a better life and career.

The Speed of Trust - Stephen M.R. Covey with Rebecca R. Merrill Why trust? The simple, often overlooked fact is this: work gets done with and through people. The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in every transaction and every relationship—from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction. It specifically demonstrates how to establish trust intentionally so that you and your organization can forgo the time-killing, bureaucratic check-and-balance processes that are so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.

Summary Points & Takeaways from The Speed of Trust

Some key summary points and takeaways from the book includes:

* Trust is the foundation of all human relationships and is essential for successful organizations.

* The five key principles of the "Speed of Trust" are self-awareness, transparency, integrity, accountability, and kindness.

* Trust can be built by being reliable, providing results, demonstrating character, and extending trust to others.

* Leaders who create a culture of trust will have more engaged employees, stronger partnerships, and increased profits.

* Building trust takes time, effort, and a commitment to making it a priority in all interactions.

* Trust can be regained after a breach, but it takes a conscious effort and a willingness to make changes in behavior.

* Trust is a competitive advantage, and organizations that focus on building and maintaining trust will have a significant advantage over those that do not.

Who is the author of The Speed of Trust?

Stephen M. R. Covey is an American writer and public speaker and the author of the books: The SPEED of Trust, Smart Trust, and Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others.

The Speed of Trust Summary Notes

Trust as the key to improved communication and efficiency.

Trust is an essential component of our daily interactions, affecting everything from personal relationships to business partnerships. It is defined as confidence in someone's abilities, and when present, it facilitates good communication and understanding. The lack of trust can have a significant impact on speed and efficiency, leading to increased costs and reduced results. The economics of trust demonstrate that a high level of trust can lead to increased efficiency, while a lack of trust results in a trust tax, causing a slower, less efficient process. In today's world, where trust is fading in institutions and relationships, understanding the importance of trust is crucial. By recognizing the benefits of trust and incorporating it into our lives and businesses, we can improve communication, increase efficiency, and achieve better results.

The Importance of Self-Trust: Becoming Credible to Foster Trust

Trust is a crucial component of our personal and professional lives. In order to foster trust in our relationships with others, we first need to learn how to trust ourselves. Cultivating self-trust involves becoming credible by adopting the Four Cores: Integrity, Intent, Capabilities, and Results.

Integrity is the first core, and it involves being honest and standing by your principles. Making and keeping commitments to yourself is an important way to increase your integrity, which in turn increases your self-trust.

The second core is Intent, which refers to having positive motives and behavior. Analyzing and redefining your motives is a key way to improve your intent and foster self-trust.

Capabilities are the third core, and involve developing abilities that evoke confidence. Learning new skills and keeping up with developments in your industry can help you improve your capabilities and build your self-trust.

The last core is Results, where you build a track record of deeds to which you’ve committed yourself. Building a reputation for delivering on promises can help you establish trust in others.

By focusing on these core principles, we can become more credible to ourselves and to others, which in turn fosters trust in our relationships. Cultivating self-trust is a crucial step in building trust with others and achieving success in our personal and professional lives.

Building Trust in Relationships through Honest and Respectful Behavior

The key to building trust in any relationship is to behave in a trustworthy way. This means being honest, demonstrating respect, and avoiding behaviors that erode trust. To build trust, you need to tell the truth and avoid double-talking or omitting information. Being candid helps to increase trust, while dishonesty erodes it. Additionally, showing respect for others by acknowledging their contributions, avoiding bad-mouthing, and being generous with acknowledgement can help you build trust.

However, it's important to avoid going overboard as it can harm your relationships and weaken your trust levels. It's crucial to strike a balance between being honest and respectful. To help you stay on track, you can think of your efforts in terms of a trust account, where every trustworthy action is a deposit and every untrustworthy action is a withdrawal.

It's also essential to seek feedback from others to gauge your progress and identify areas for improvement. By doing so, you can stay in credit and build trust in your relationships. Trust is a vital component of any successful relationship, and building it takes time and effort. With honesty, respect, and a willingness to seek feedback, you can establish and maintain trust in your relationships, leading to deeper connections and better outcomes.

Building Trust with Stakeholders in Business

Trust is a crucial element in establishing strong relationships in both personal and professional contexts. In the world of business, stakeholders play a vital role in the success or failure of an organization. In order to build trust with stakeholders, it is essential to focus on three key aspects - alignment, reputation, and contribution.

To gain the trust of internal stakeholders, such as employees, an organization must prioritize alignment. When employees trust each other and the organization, it leads to better communication, increased efficiency, and growth. On the other hand, external stakeholders, such as the market, require a good reputation to trust a company. A strong brand reputation can be built through consistent quality and reliability.

In addition to internal and external stakeholders, societal stakeholders also play a role in establishing trust. Companies that contribute positively to society earn the trust and respect of their stakeholders. For example, McDonald's was able to avoid damage during the Los Angeles riots because the chain had supported literacy initiatives, sports programs, and provided job opportunities for the youth in the area.

Building trust with stakeholders is not a one-time effort but requires consistent effort and focus. It requires businesses to act in a trustworthy manner, be reliable, and contribute positively to society. By doing so, businesses can establish strong relationships with their stakeholders, leading to success and growth.

Restoring Trust: The Power of Smart Trust and Credibility

Trust is a critical component of any successful relationship, whether personal or professional. But what happens when trust is lost? Many people assume that once trust is broken, it can never be restored. However, in "The Speed of Trust," author Stephen M.R. Covey argues that trust can be rebuilt through a combination of smart trust and improved credibility.

Smart trust involves finding a balance between blind trust and extreme skepticism. It means acknowledging that most people are generally trustworthy, but also taking a closer look at the possible implications of trusting someone. By extending smart trust to others, we demonstrate our willingness to trust them while also protecting ourselves from potential harm.

In addition to extending smart trust to others, we can also restore trust by improving our own credibility. When we behave in a way that is consistent with our values and commitments, we demonstrate to others that we are trustworthy. Even if we've made mistakes in the past, we can take steps to repair the damage and rebuild trust over time.

Book Details

• Print length: 384 pages
• Genre: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction

The Speed of Trust Chapters

Chapter 1: The One Thing That Changes Everything 1 Chapter 2: You Can Do Something About This Chapter 3: The First Waveself Trust Chapter 4: The Second Waverelationship Trust Chapter 5: The Third Fourth And Fifth Waves

What is a good quote from The Speed of Trust?

Top Quote: “We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behaviour.” - The Speed of Trust Quotes, Stephen M.R. Covey with Rebecca R. Merrill

What do critics say?

Here's what one of the prominent reviewers had to say about the book: "This book can change lives. Covey helps us understand how to nurture and inspire immediate trust in every encounter, which is the foundation for true and lasting success in life. A very interesting and enlightening read." — Larry King

* The editor of this summary review made every effort to maintain information accuracy, including any published quotes, chapters, or takeaways. If you want to enhance your personal growth, I recommend checking out my list of favorite personal growth books . These books have played a significant role in my life, and each one includes a summary and takeaways to help you apply the concepts.

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The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything Paperback – Feb. 5 2008

Purchase options and add-ons

• Print length 384 pages
• Language English
• Publication date Feb. 5 2008
• Dimensions 13.97 x 2.54 x 21.43 cm
• ISBN-10 1416549005
• ISBN-13 978-1416549000
• See all details

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Product description

About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Free Press; Reprint edition (Feb. 5 2008)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1416549005
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1416549000
• Item weight ‏ : ‎ 313 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 2.54 x 21.43 cm
• #9 in Business Ethics in Management
• #9 in Business Ethics
• #75 in Decision Making in Leadership

About the author

Stephen m.r. covey.

Stephen M. R. Covey is the New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Speed of Trust, which has been translated into 22 languages and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. He is also the author of the newly released Wall Street Journal bestseller, Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others, which was named as the #1 Leadership Book of 2022 by the Outstanding Work of Literature Awards. Stephen brings to his writings the perspective of a practitioner, as he is the former President & CEO of the Covey Leadership Center, where he increased shareholder value by 67 times and grew the company to become the largest leadership development firm in the world. A Harvard MBA, Stephen co-founded and currently leads FranklinCovey’s Global Speed of Trust Practice. He serves on numerous boards, including the Government Leadership Advisory Council, and he has been recognized with the lifetime Achievement Award for “Top Thought Leaders in Trust” from the advocacy group, Trust Across America/Trust Around the World. Stephen is a highly sought-after international speaker who has taught trust and leadership in 57 countries to business, government, military, education, healthcare, and NGO entities.

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The Speed of Trust

The One Thing that Changes Everything

Stephen M.R. Covey, Stephen R. Covey, Rebecca R. Merrill | 4.30 | 20,575 ratings and reviews

Ranked #11 in Business Ethics , Ranked #46 in Social Skills — see more rankings .

For business leaders and public figures in any arena, The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in our every transaction and relationship—from the most personal...

For business leaders and public figures in any arena, The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in our every transaction and relationship—from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction—and how to establish trust immediately so that you and your organization can forego the time–killing, bureaucratic check–and–balance processes so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.

Rankings by Category

The Speed of Trust is ranked in the following categories:

• #99 in Leadership

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Book Review: The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey

The Speed of Trust  is a must-read for any leader

In  The Speed of Trust,  the businessman and author Stephen M.R. Covey  claims that “trust has never been lower than it is today”. However, winning the trust of others is essential for effective leadership and decision-making , which means that it is vital in the modern business world. This clear and detailed analysis is valuable for anyone who wants to understand and implement Covey’s ideas: it features a thorough explanation of the background to the book, including the internet bubble and the stock market crash of 2001 , as well as an insightful exploration of the consequences of low trust. It also provides a useful introduction to the key concepts in Covey’s book, including credibility , integrity and brand image , and similar approaches and concepts, giving you everything you need to understand this important text in management .

This accessible and insightful 35-page summary and analysis is structured as follows:

• Trust: a valuable factor of performance
• A family matter
• Internet bubble
• The stock market crash of 2001
• Fraud operations and manipulation of accounts
• Key concepts
• Continuous improvement
• Similar approaches and statements
• Recap of Covey’s main ideas

About The Speed of Trust

The Speed of Trust  was published at a time when trust in the government, the media and large companies was very low. Covey observed that trust has tangible effects on the speed and cost of production: when trust is low, speed decreases and costs rise. Consequently, he aimed to allow businesses and managers to maximize their results and win the trust of their partners and clients with practical and straightforward advice that can be applied to a range of situations.

About Stephen M.R. Covey

Stephen M.R. Covey is an American businessman, author and keynote speaker. After earning his MBA from Harvard University in 1989, he cofounded the company CoveyLink Worldwide, which later merged with FranklinCovey. He draws on his own experiences of leadership in his writing, which has influenced millions of people around the world. He is the son of the internationally renowned self-help author Stephen R. Covey.

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Book Reviews

Book reviews written by professional speaker and consultant harry k. jones., the speed of trust.

I want to take a moment here to attempt to clarify a few things that tweaked my curiosity right off the bat when I first discovered this book.

This author is NOT the man who authored The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People . This is his son. I must admit that my first thought dealt with Jr.’s authenticity and, to be honest, whether this new author was simply cashing in on the family name.

Well, after a little research, I discovered that Stephen M.R. Covey may not be his father but was certainly his own man and has obviously established his own list of credits. He is the former CEO of Covey Leadership Center, which, under his stewardship, became the largest leadership development company in the world. A Harvard MBA, he joined Covey Leadership Center as a client developer and later became national sales manager and then President and CEO.

In that position, he nearly doubled revenues to more than $110 million while increasing profits by 12 times. The company rapidly expanded throughout the world into more than 40 countries. The company was valued at $2.4 million when he took over the helm and, within three years, he grew shareholder value to $160 million in a merger he orchestrated with then Franklin Quest to form Franklin Covey. Stephen Jr. is indisputably his own man.

I know this is trite to most, but I was also intrigued by the fact that the author has two middle initials as I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who could make that claim. Again I did some research but couldn’t find a single reference to his middle name. Again, trite but curious.

Now to the book. You don’t see many books on the subject of trust in today’s bookstores, and I find that quite odd when you consider the subject lies at the forefront of most every news story emerging these days. Lack of trust appears very apparent as today’s political scene is riddled with scandal on every front. Add to that list the financial industry, the auto industry, religion, energy, news, and sports … it’s almost easier to name those segments of society which haven’t been impacted by events resulting in the lack of trust. And yet, no one seems to want to discuss the topic of trust.

Trust is vitally crucial in getting anything done in today’s environment. The continuing decline is a major issue not just in business, but socially, politically and in the family. Covey declares that trust is the very basis of the new global economy, and he shows how trust is the essential ingredient for any high–performance, successful organization.

The author does a very insightful job of investigating the components of trust, and exploring and explaining the dynamics of how trust can be built and destroyed in families, in teams, and in institutions.

Covey believes that we must navigate what he calls the “5 Waves of Trust” … derived from the “ripple effect” metaphor that graphically illustrates the interdependent nature of trust and how it flows from the inside out. The “5 Waves of Trust” includes:

• The First Wave: SELF TRUST (based on the principle of credibility)
• The Second Wave: RELATIONSHIP TRUST (based on the principle of proper behavior)
• The Third Wave: ORGANIZATIONAL TRUST (based on the principle of alignment)
• The Fourth Wave: MARKET TRUST (based on the principle of reputation)
• The Fifth Wave: SOCIETAL TRUST (based on the principle of contribution)

Covey also outlines 13 behaviors of trust-inspiring leaders which work together to create balance. As he describes each behavior he notes the principles upon which each is based. He also gives the opposite and the counterfeit for each behavior. At the end of his behavior description, Covey suggests a few “Trust Tips” and a few specific suggestions for ways to apply that particular behavior. The behaviors include:

• Talk Straight
• Demonstrate Respect
• Create Transparency
• Right Wrongs
• Show Loyalty
• Deliver Results
• Confront Reality
• Clarify Expectations
• Practice Accountability
• Listen First
• Keep Commitments
• Extend Trust

Most of the book is taken up with examining those five waves and their underlying principles that establish trust.

You’ll enjoy the touching foreword by the author’s father, Stephen R. Covey, as well as Covey’s down-to-earth approach and disarming personal stories which go a long way to establish rapport with his reader. However, I did feel that the content could have been successfully conveyed in far less than the 354 pages utilized by the author.

Restoring trust within an organization may seem difficult; however, the fact that high-trust organizations outperform low-trust organizations by three times provides a strong incentive to make the effort, and I think this book couldn’t have been written at a more appropriate time. Let’s just hope the right people read it and then take the necessary actions to remedy their current dire straights.

(This book review was originally published in 2009 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 19.)

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars , keynote presentations , and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management , customer service , creativity , employee retention , goal setting , leadership , stress management , teamwork , and time management . For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form .

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The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything

By Rebecca R. Merrill , Shidifen Kewei , Stephen M .R. Covey and Stephen M. R. Covey

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Book Review: The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey: Understanding the power of trust

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Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. nach der Bestellung gedruckt Neuware - Printed after ordering - It can be hard for busy professionals to find the time to read the latest books. Stay up to date in a fraction of the time with this concise guide.�Trust has never been lower than it is today�. This is a statement by Covey from his bestselling book, The Speed of Trust, and he goes on to explain that trust has virtually disappeared from business, politics and even our personal lives. Yet trusting others is an integral aspect of any career or relationship and it can bring wonderful rewards for everybody. The Speed of Trust discusses why we struggle to trust others and what we can do to rebuild those bonds. Covey is an American writer and public speaker, and co-founded CoveyLink Worldwide, which provides consulting and training for organisations across the United States.This book review and analysis is perfect for:�Anyone who wants to trust others but are not sure where to begin�Anyone looking to build trust within their team�Anyone who wishes to gain the trust of their clientsAbout 50MINUTES.COM | BOOK REVIEWThe Book Review series from the 50Minutes collection is aimed at anyone who is looking to learn from experts in their field without spending hours reading endless pages of information. Our reviews present a concise summary of the main points of each book, as well as providing context, different perspectives and concrete examples to illustrate the key concepts. 34 pp. Englisch.

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• ‘So Help Me Todd’ Series Finale: Why The CBS Drama Ended On An (Awkward!) Cliffhanger & What Would Have Happened To Margaret And Her Son

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SPOILER ALERT! This story contains details about the series finale of So Help Me Todd on CBS.

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DEADLINE: Let’s start with the cliffhanger. Why?

SCOTT PRENDERGAST : When we pitched out the season at the beginning of Season 2, we told all of the executives what we were going to do. They all said, ‘of course. That’s great.’ Even they thought at the time, ‘well, of course you’ll be back. Do a cliffhanger!’ We wanted to do sort of an Empire Strikes Back-y end with a dangerous note. By the time we knew that we were canceled, it was too late. It’d been a month since we shot that episode. We found out on April 19. We wrapped production at the end of March.

DEADLINE: When CBS told you about the cancelation, did you have a brief conversation about what you could do for fans?

PRENDERGAST: The conversations were both very short. We knew it was coming. There had been little signs, little things that had happened, little administrative things. We were like, ‘oh, maybe this isn’t going to go our way.’ We did say, ‘can we try and find another home? Can we keep the sets up for a little bit? Can we look around, try and sell the show to somebody else?’ And they said, of course. So we didn’t talk specifically about wrapping the story for fans, but we were looking for another home.

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DEADLINE: What do you think led to the cancellation?

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Tell us, Tom Selleck: Who are you, really?

The 79-year-old actor opens up — kind of — in his memoir, “You Never Know.”

Unlike Ben Franklin, who arrived in Philadelphia after a long journey by foot and boat, with enough money to buy three puffy rolls, Tom Selleck entered Los Angeles in the family car, dad at the wheel, ready to settle down in Sherman Oaks, a short drive from Hollywood.

Though Franklin is not mentioned in Selleck’s memoir, “ You Never Know ,” his work ethic and didacticism are widely evident. Another great American is also present: Huck Finn. By combining Franklin’s homiletic pronouncements with Huck’s folksy immediacy of voice, Selleck, along with co-writer Ellis Henican, has created an easygoing, talky American memoir.

And why not? Sturdy as Mount Rushmore, athletic and eminently likable, Selleck exudes traditional American masculine traits; he’s the very embodiment of the strong, silent type. But silence can be a hazard when it comes to writing a memoir, which after all is a genre of self-reflection, confession and exposure.

Known for his privacy, Selleck has written a what book instead of a why book, a chronology of doing , as he writes about his life. As he says late in the book, “Feelings are hard to describe.” So readers can decide if they’re satisfied with a résumé — a running of the credits, if you will.

I like Tom Selleck, and while waiting for the book to arrive, I watched a lot of his movies and shows. Though I find the memoir disappointing, it will make a great audiobook, and I wonder if that’s what he had in mind, letting his easygoing voice tell a story that is soothing because he keeps it on the surface.

A quick list of some doings: student at USC, where a drama professor referred him to a Hollywood agent; acting classes to improve his “instrument”; joined California Army National Guard in 1967; appeared on “The Dating Game”; TV commercials; print ads; B movies, then better ones; survived the Hollywood cattle calls until he was chosen for a new TV show titled “Magnum, P.I.” By now it’s 1980, and Selleck is 35. He’s paid his dues and lived up to his principle of “Don’t know where I’m goin’, but there’s no use bein’ late.” Hi, Huck.

This Hollywood education exposes a ruthless industry that both tests and forms Selleck’s values. He sums up his success by quoting Calvin Coolidge: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence,” a very Franklinesque aphorism. But, despite Selleck’s persistence, he wrestles with the “critic on my shoulder,” that voice that says you’re not good enough. Soon, though, another phrase — a mantra, really — takes its place: “Tom, you’re good enough.”

The book gives us a lot of doing and name-dropping. We may learn about the risqué incident when Carol Burnett had her legs around Selleck’s neck, and his photo shoot with a naked Barbara Parkins, but we learn nothing about his love life — according to my research outside the book, he’s been involved with more than three famous actresses — and little about his first marriage. He dilutes his inward thoughts with vague phrasing such as “I kinda knew,” “I don’t know why … well, actually, yes, I do know why,” or “I sit here, pen in hand, trying to explain my emotions … I can’t.”

Such coy deflections and elisions try our patience and may leave some of us wondering why he wrote a memoir if he can’t express feelings. Instead, we get clichés like “In the film business, work is waiting for you every day, and you owe it your commitment every day” and repetitions of the line he uses in his TV commercials for reverse mortgages: “This isn’t my first rodeo.” In his memoir, does Selleck have difficulty separating himself from the characters he depicts? He’s selling himself to his readers, and we’ll buy it because we like him and he’s a good actor, but cliché and evasion erode intimacy .

Ten chapters detail the creation and success of “Magnum, P.I.,” and we learn much about television production and its grueling deadlines, and that actors chew ice before doing a scene so their breath won’t show up on camera. We also learn how loyal and dedicated Selleck is to his crew, those folks who make our favorite shows possible. During the last season of “Magnum,” Selleck asked his network to give his hard-working team of seven years a bonus; the studio refused. So Selleck arranged to have his own bonus docked and gave $1,000 to each crew member. Commendable.

“Magnum” is firmly part of what scholar Susan Jeffords calls the “remasculinization of America,” a post-Vietnam cultural shift that, through films and popular culture, reinvigorated hypermasculine images and traditional male values. “Magnum” featured a Vietnam veteran, an ex-Navy SEAL, who relocates to Hawaii and becomes a private investigator. He became a character millions of men admire and emulate. But Selleck says little about his longest-lived iteration of American masculinity, Frank Reagan of the TV hit “Blue Bloods,” now in its 14th and final season. A lifelong Republican, Selleck, I’m sure, enjoys playing a character who has the same last name as a president he admires.

Reagan is an aging patriarch who wields his masculinity both as the NYPD police commissioner and as a father who sits at the head of the table during family Sunday dinners. Selleck does not share what it’s like playing this older man who covers up his body with an overcoat and a cowl-neck sweater. Instead, we’re told the business details of “Blue Bloods,” not its personal impact on its star.

Selleck is completely silent about the nine “Jesse Stone” TV movies he made beginning in 2005. Stone, a cop, does open up, revealing both the whats and the whys of his character, especially in the exchanges between him and his male therapist. Selleck is also at his sexiest, lounging in bed, the famous chin doubling as he reaches for his reading glasses. How does a masculine icon age? Selleck doesn’t say.

Closing on a pastoral note in the epilogue, the 79-year-old actor walks around his ranch and checks the water tanks he needs for his avocado crop while reminiscing about the stories he’s just told us and the ones he’s keeping to himself. In the book’s penultimate sentence he writes, “I am the steward of those stories, the same way I am steward of my land.” Unsurprisingly, Selleck fails to mention his allegedly improper transfer of over 1 million gallons of water onto “my land” in 2015.

It’s hard to separate the dancer from the dance, the mustache from the man, but not impossible. Memoir is supposed to puncture the facade of performance, or at least try to. Perhaps Selleck will trust his audience enough to write a more intimate sequel. He’s been speaking to us for a long while now, and I’m sure he has more to say.

Sibbie O’Sullivan, a former teacher in the Honors College at the University of Maryland, is the author of “My Private Lennon: Explorations From a Fan Who Never Screamed.”

Tom Selleck

You Never Know

By Tom Selleck with Ellis Henican

Dey Street. 352 pp. $29.99

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The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything Kindle Edition

• Print length 384 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publisher Free Press
• Publication date October 17, 2006
• File size 7118 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
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• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000MGATWG
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Free Press; 1st edition (October 17, 2006)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 17, 2006
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 7118 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
• Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1416549005
• #5 in Business Ethics (Kindle Store)
• #126 in Personal Success in Business
• #154 in Business Leadership

About the author

Stephen m.r. covey.

Stephen M. R. Covey is the New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Speed of Trust, which has been translated into 22 languages and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. He is also the author of the newly released Wall Street Journal bestseller, Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others, which was named as the #1 Leadership Book of 2022 by the Outstanding Work of Literature Awards. Stephen brings to his writings the perspective of a practitioner, as he is the former President & CEO of the Covey Leadership Center, where he increased shareholder value by 67 times and grew the company to become the largest leadership development firm in the world. A Harvard MBA, Stephen co-founded and currently leads FranklinCovey’s Global Speed of Trust Practice. He serves on numerous boards, including the Government Leadership Advisory Council, and he has been recognized with the lifetime Achievement Award for “Top Thought Leaders in Trust” from the advocacy group, Trust Across America/Trust Around the World. Stephen is a highly sought-after international speaker who has taught trust and leadership in 57 countries to business, government, military, education, healthcare, and NGO entities.

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