The Bestselling Author of The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything Offers a Revolutionary New Way to Lead

FranklinCovey (NYSE: FC), the most trusted leadership company in the world, and publishing giant, Simon & Schuster, today announced the release of Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others, authored by Stephen M. R. Covey, FranklinCovey Trust Practice CEO, with David Kasperson, McKinlee Covey, and Gary T. Judd. Covey, who has made it his life’s work to understand trust in leadership and organizations, and has previously authored The New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything, which has sold over two million copies worldwide and has been translated into 22 languages.

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Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others, authored by Stephen M. R. Covey, the bestselling author of The New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything, which has sold over two million copies worldwide and has been translated into 22 languages. (Photo: Business Wire)

The timeliness and relevance of the book is emphatically underscored by endorsements from prominent leaders in business, health care, government, education, and family, including: Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft; Indra Nooyi, former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo; Eric Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom Communications; and Anne Chow, CEO of AT&T Business. Admiral William McRaven, 4-Star Admiral & Commander of US Special Operations (Ret.) and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Your Bed, noted that Trust & Inspire “ . . . will be the defining book for leadership in the 21^st century.” The book also transcends traditional business leadership thinking into the classroom and home. Esther Wojcicki, educator, and bestselling author of How to Raise Successful People, noted that “. . . Every parent, every teacher, every leader needs this book.”

In Trust & Inspire, Covey offers a new, transformative way to lead and makes the compelling argument that even though our world has changed drastically, our leadership style has not. Most organizations, teams, schools, and families still operate from a model of “Command and Control,” focusing on hierarchies and compliance from people. But with the changing nature of the world — the changing nature of work itself, and the choices we have for where and how to work — these old rules of leadership no longer apply. The ever-evolving landscape of the 21^st century calls for a radical shift in the way we lead today. Covey’s solution is simple, yet bold: a transition from this “Command and Control” model to a leadership style of “Trust & Inspire.”

Covey notes, “The two most critical jobs-to-be done for organizations today are to win in the workplace and in the marketplace. There is a massive gap between performance and potential, as the vast majority of the workplace today possesses far more talent, creativity, ingenuity, intelligence, and ability than their present jobs require, or even allow them to contribute. This traditional ‘Command and Control’ style of leadership is prevalent to some degree in 92 percent of organizations today. It’s incapable of inspiring the level of commitment, innovation, collaboration, belonging, loyalty and performance needed in organizations in today’s ever-changing, disruptive world.”

Trust & Inspire challenges deeply ingrained beliefs about people and leadership that have been held and accepted for decades. The book offers a new way of leading starting with the belief that people are creative, collaborative, and full of potential. They don’t want to be managed but want to be led, and with a Trust & Inspire leader are inspired to become the best version of themselves and to produce their best work. According to Bain & Company, inspired employees are 56 percent more productive than engaged employees and 125 percent more productive than satisfied employees. Covey believes this type of leadership is the solution to the future of work, where a dispersed workforce will be the norm, necessitating trust and collaboration across time zones, cultures, personalities, and technology.

“Many of us have been lucky enough to have leaders who trusted and inspired us,” said Covey. “These types of relationships are marked by flexibility, creativity and collaboration — traits that are sorely needed in this new era of remote work. Unfortunately, most of us have experienced the opposite under “Command and Control” managers. These managers micromanage, use short-term incentives and blame to motivate employees, and approach accomplishing tasks by leveraging the people and resources at their disposal. This outdated mode of operating completely misses the potential power of the people who get those things done and is simply not enough.”

The overarching framework for the new book consists of 3 Stewardships that work together and build off each other, providing a practical, actionable framework for unleashing greatness inside of people and driving incredible performance:

1. Modeling – Who You Are – The leader’s credibility and moral authority, modeling the behavioral virtues needed today.
2. Trusting – How you Lead – The way leaders extend trust to and grow the people around them.
3. Inspiring – Connect to Why – How leaders connect with people and connect to purpose in inspiring others.

While many leaders may do well on one or two of these stewardships, there is extraordinary strength for leaders who embody all 3; leaders who model, leaders who trust, and leaders who inspire. This approach will powerfully enrich the lives of leaders, but even more important, it will deeply enrich the lives of those they lead.

A Trust & Inspire leader models authentic, inclusive behavior with humility and courage. They’re not only trustworthy, but they’re also trusting, and their people deliver on that trust. They inspire others to willingly give their hearts and minds, not just to work, but to contribute meaningfully to something that matters. People don’t just want to be motivated, they want to be inspired. Contrary to what most people believe, inspiring others is a learnable skill. Anyone can be this kind of leader. Everyone needs this kind of leader.

“People feel different around Trust & Inspire leaders than we do around other leaders,” said Covey. “It’s exciting and exhilarating to be led, taught, coached, parented, or helped by someone like this. Working with such a person isn’t like working with other people. The difference is palpable. And why do we feel differently? It’s because leaders like this not only think differently, but they also behave differently. We want to be better because of the way they treat us, how they speak to us, what they expect of us and what they see in us. They ask for our opinion and listen to what we say. They paint a picture of what could be — and we become eager to be a part of it.”

Covey suggests that leaders can adapt their style and change the way they lead, as style is a choice. It flows from their paradigm, the underlying mental framework from which they operate — and from the fundamental beliefs guiding how they see people and leadership. The beliefs of a Trust & Inspire leader are based on timeless and powerful principles. What makes them powerful is that Trust & Inspire leaders don’t simply agree with them intellectually — they consistently live them.

Covey said, “ The world is a better and more noble place when filled with Trust & Inspire people and leaders. Whenever there is greatness, achievement, and success, you can find a Trust & Inspire leader. People aren’t moved to greatness, but are inspired to it. There’s always a model, someone who paved the way, inspired, trusted and believed in others, and was able to light the fire, not only within themselves, but in others. We can and should be that leader. Our colleagues, organizations, family, friends and communities need it. Our society and world need it. And as we become the leader we strive to be, we will find that life is made all the better for it. It is the new way to lead and a better way to live. Trust & Inspire.”

Implementing FranklinCovey Trust Solutions In Organizations: FranklinCovey’s research-backed content, expert consultants, and innovative technology empowers leaders, managers and teams to cultivate trust and hold themselves and their organization to high standards through the following solutions: The Speed of Trust® Foundations, Leading at The Speed of Trust® and Smart Trust®.

Covey is available to deliver Trust & Inspire® keynotes and work sessions now. A scalable solution is in development and will be available the latter part of 2022. For information on booking Covey for keynotes, speeches, and executive team work sessions, contact David Kasperson, 801-717-8352, David.Kasperson@FranklinCovey.com.

About the Author: Stephen M. R. Covey is a co-author of Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others and is co-founder and CEO of CoveyLink and of the FranklinCovey Trust Practice. A highly sought-after and compelling keynote speaker, author and advisor on trust, leadership, ethics, culture, and collaboration, he speaks to audiences worldwide. A Harvard MBA, he is the former CEO of Covey Leadership Center, which under his stewardship became the largest development leadership company in the world.

About FranklinCovey

FranklinCovey (NYSE: FC) is the most trusted leadership company in the world with operations in over 160 countries. We transform organizations by partnering with our clients to build leaders, teams, and cultures that get breakthrough results through collective action, which leads to a more engaging work experience for their people. Available through the FranklinCovey All Access Pass^®, our best-in-class content and solutions, experts, technology, and metrics seamlessly integrate together to ensure lasting behavior change at scale. This approach to leadership and organizational change has been tested and refined by working with tens of thousands of teams and organizations over the past 30 years. To learn more, visit www.franklincovey.com and enjoy exclusive content across FranklinCovey’s social media channels: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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