At the risk of being a day late and a dollar short on reviewing “The Speed of Trust”, I thought it still important to share with everyone the powerful nature of Stephen M.R. Covey’s2006 book.

A friend of mine suggested reading “The Speed of Trust” in preparation for his corporate offsite and I’m really happy I obliged.  There is something about the book that strikes at the foundation of any leadership conversation and that something is TRUST.  Covey makes a well-formed case for TRUST being the governor on the speed on virtually every successful business process and action.   Simply put, if TRUST exists in your organization, everything happens faster.  No need for over-bearing process monitoring, inordinate governance or claustrophobic oversight.  If there is TRUST, stuff happens …. fast!

I became a big fan of a number of the tools and techniques Covey suggests for getting to the root cause of credibility and relationships.  These are tools most businesses can easily fit into any leadership meeting or management retreat.  Leaders need to pay special attention to following the behaviors that will drive TRUST in their organizations.  Covey’s suggested Action Plan can be lifted right into most executives professional development plan.

So the next time you attempt to close a deal, hire a senior executive, implement a major transformational change or hire a banker, ask yourself if TRUST exists and you’ll know the power of this critical leadership attribute.