By Greg Wiens The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything By Stephen M. R. Covey Free Press, 384 pp. $26.99

ave you ever been in a conversation with someone who just could not understand you regardless of what you said and how you said it? Did it ever occur to you that the root of the problem might be a lack of trust? It did not occur to me until I read The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything by

Stephen M.R. Covey. Covey asserts that a lack of understanding is caused by a lack of trust. He explains that in high-trust relationships, the wrong thing can be said and both parties will still understand. However, in low-trust relationships, even the most precise and thoughtful communication will still be misunderstood. In The SPEED of Trust, Covey analyzes the importance of trust in every relationship, both personal and professional. He also outlines how to develop and maintain trust. Trust is so integral to relationships, but few have examined its components. Covey breaks trust into two components: the character of the individual and the competence of the individual. Having good character is something that most would associate with trust. However, Covey uncovers a correlation between abilities and trust that is not readily seen. A person that does not have the abilities to do what he or she says cannot be trusted. This statement seems obvious, but sometimes the most fundamental concepts are the most profound. Another insightful part of Covey’s book is his illustration of the five building blocks of trust: Self Trust, Relational Trust, Organizational Trust, Market Trust and Societal Trust. Each level of trust builds on the others. The structure is built on self-trust, or having confidence in your own abilities. Then piece by piece it is finished with Societal Trust, which is the contribution you make to the world. If you are a trustworthy leader, you will be trusted in all five areas. According to Covey, trust is built on integrity, and integrity is built on humility. This is not the meek and mild variety of humility, but rather a humility that requires strength and courage. True humility means serving others by fulfilling responsibilities with the highest level of competence and excellence possible. Covey says that trust can be developed and maintained, which should be encouraging to those in leadership roles. Trust is a skill that can be practiced, and as it grows with time, can help create influential leaders. The SPEED of Trust is very helpful in understanding and developing trust, thereby increasing leadership ability.

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Seasoned leaders are familiar with the author’s father, Stephen Covey, who wrote The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The SPEED of Trust includes a number of anecdotes about his family, which are both humorous and helpful in understanding trust in the family context. We are given a rare insight into his father’s application of the principles of trust in his own family. As I read this book, I realized that I am wired much differently than the author, but the same principles apply. This book gave a wonderful synopsis of trust as well as helpful information and real life examples of how to be a more trusting person and leader.

While it may come more naturally for us to think of trust in terms of character, it’s equally important that we also learn to think in terms of competence. Think about it—people trust people who make things happen.

Leadership is getting results in a way that inspires trust.

Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.

— ALBERT EINSTEIN

And it is congruence—not compliance—that will ultimately create credibility and trust…. People who are congruent act in harmony with their deepest values and beliefs. They walk their talk. When they feel they

ought to do something, they do it.

You cannot prevent a major catastrophe, but you can build an organization that is battle-ready, that has high morale, that knows how to behave, that trusts itself, and where people trust one another. In military training,

the first rule is to instill soldiers with trust in their officers, because without trust they won’t fight. — PETER DRUCKER

One myth, for example, is that trust is “soft”—it’s something that’s nice to have, but you really can’t define it,

quantify it, measure it. As I hope you can tell by now, the exact opposite is true. Trust is hard. It’s real. It’s quantifiable. It’s measurable. In every instance, it affects both speed and cost, and speed and cost can be

measured and quantified. To change the level of trust in a relationship, on a team, or in an organization is to dramatically impact both time and money—and quality and value, as well.

*Quotes are from Stephen M. R. Covey unless denoted otherwise.

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