05.07.08

the speed of trust

Posted in books, leadership at 6:41 am by len

An interview with Stephen Covey

Q: Why is trust such a hidden variable to many otherwise competent managers?

Covey: Unfortunately, too many executives believe the myths about trust. Myths like how trust is soft and is merely a social virtue. The reality is that trust is hard-edged and is an economic driver.

For instance, strategy is important, but trust is the hidden variable. On paper you can have clarity around your objectives, but in a low-trust environment, your strategy won’t be executed. We find the trust tax shows up in a variety of ways including fraud, bureaucracy, politics, turnover, and disengagement, where people quit mentally, but stay physically. The trust tax is real.

There are many myths about trust, and in my book I present them in a table your readers may find helpful:

See also Biz Bytes.

5 Comments

  1. Peggy said,

    May 7, 2008 at 8:45 am

    Very timely, Len … I’m preparing to talk with the new senior pastor where I was on staff about issues around failing to speaking the truth in love and decreased trust and how they are impacting sustainability….

  2. len said,

    May 7, 2008 at 10:20 am

    ah Peggy.. you are a courageous soul. May the Lord bring peace to this meeting and enable deep listening and hearing..

  3. NextReformation » preparing for mission - spiritual authority said,

    May 22, 2008 at 5:58 am

    [...] It won’t be an easy task to recover this older model, because we have seen so many abuses of spiritual authority. Given our negative experience with authority and the fear generated from these, we have work to do to rebuild trust. (See Brad Sargent’s summary of  the five “core needs” for transformation. Also related, “The Speed of Trust.”) Given the individualist culture we live in and our natural desire to center our world around our own small selves, we have work to do to rebuild our common life. Bonhoeffer writes that, “The desire we so often hear today for ‘episcopal figures’ .. springs from a spiritually sick need for the admiration of men.. because the genuine authority of service appears so unimpressive.” (109) And later he writes, “The question of trust.. is determined by faithfulness to the service of Jesus Christ.. never by the extraordinary talents [one] possesses.” [...]

  4. NextReformation » future church 2: leadership, liminality and change said,

    June 30, 2008 at 6:48 pm

    [...] It won’t be an easy task to recover this older model, because we have seen so many abuses of spiritual authority. Given our negative experience with authority and the fear generated from these, we have work to do to rebuild trust. (See Brad Sargent’s summary of the five “core needs” for transformation. Also related, “The Speed of Trust.”) [...]

  5. Apostolic Teams Part III : The Missional Journey said,

    July 10, 2008 at 11:28 am

    [...] It won’t be an easy task to recover this older model, because we have seen so many abuses of spiritual authority. Given our negative experience with authority and the fear generated from these, we have work to do to rebuild trust. (See Brad Sargent’s summary of the five “core needs” for transformation. Also related, Stephen Covey, “The Speed of Trust.”) [...]