PDF Summary:Trust and Inspire, by Stephen M.R. Covey

In today’s world, workers must collaborate effectively and provide quality service and knowledge for organizations to thrive—as a leader, this requires you to maximize employees’ productivity and creativity. However, you can’t achieve this with traditional leadership styles that rely on carrot-and-stick methods of motivation. Instead, you must evolve as a leader—you must inspire employees to maximize their work quality by trusting and encouraging them to achieve their full potential. In Trust and Inspire, Stephen M.R. Covey explains how and why you should step up from traditional to inspirational leadership to succeed in all areas of your organization and life.

In this guide, you’ll learn why modern work requires inspirational leaders, the five doctrines inspirational leaders believe in, and the three commitments you must adopt to become an inspirational leader. Our commentary will compare Covey’s ideas to other popular approaches to leadership, such as those discussed in Complexity Leadership Theory, First Things First by Stephen R. Covey, and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni.

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Covey says that upholding this commitment is important for two reasons. First, becoming an upstanding person naturally makes you an inspirational role model for others because your characteristics make you credible and a source of moral guidance. Second, being an upstanding person means you model the characteristics necessary to reach your full potential—by being this person, you encourage your followers to do the same.

(Shortform note: Becoming an upstanding role model is also a core component of knowledge-era leadership in CLT. Marion and Uhl-Bien argue that modern leaders must embody and express the ideas and attitudes of their organization that they want their employees to uphold. They explain that leaders can be catalysts for change when they serve as symbols people can rally around. They build organizational myths—unspoken beliefs—that guide people's behaviors and decisions in an organization.)

Characteristics of an Effective Leader

In First Things First, Covey’s father Stephen R. Covey makes a similar argument, explaining that becoming a principled person is necessary to be a principled and effective leader. While their perspectives closely align, the specific characteristics of a principled and upstanding person differ slightly. Covey Sr. lists these characteristics of a principled person:

• They adapt and learn from people and experiences, acknowledge the limits of their knowledge, and admit when they’re wrong. This encompasses Covey Jr.’s concept of strength.

• They keep promises they make to themselves and others. This encompasses Covey Jr.’s concept of being true.

• They follow their plan but can adapt to change, and they welcome detours as opportunities.

• They have paradigms and systems to overcome and persist in the face of hardships.

• They balance their physical, social, mental, and spiritual needs healthily.

• They focus on what they can control and release what they can't.

While Covey Sr. doesn’t mention understanding others as a crucial characteristic in the way that Covey Jr. does, incorporating the rest of the characteristics he mentions into your behavior may make you even more of an upstanding moral authority and stronger role model for others.

Requirement #1: Be Strong

The first requirement of becoming an upstanding person is to be strong. Being strong means doing, and advocating, what’s right—putting your ego aside, recognizing when you’re wrong, and valuing others’ opinions. For example, this may mean admitting to others when a decision you made backfires, or standing up for someone who’s being bullied. Covey explains that being strong also requires you to be brave—putting yourself out there can be intimidating.

(Shortform note: Being strong can be scary, and trying to put on a brave face, as Covey recommends, may not be enough to help you conquer this fear. Experts provide a few strategies to help you get comfortable speaking up at work that may help you be strong in general. For instance, get confident before you act by drawing up a pros and cons list—for example, what are the pros and cons of admitting you’re wrong or standing up for someone else? You can also practice what you’ll say or do beforehand to soothe your nerves.)

Requirement #2: Be Authentic

The second requirement of becoming an upstanding person is to be authentic. Being authentic means aligning your actions with your values and words and expressing your genuine thoughts and feelings. Essentially, be your true self without putting on a mask for anyone. Covey explains that many people struggle to do so out of fear that they’ll be judged. To overcome this, embrace your vulnerability—accept that you’re not perfect and be OK with sharing your imperfections, despite what others might think.

(Shortform note: Researcher and author Brené Brown emphasizes the importance of authenticity and vulnerability, explaining that they’re crucial not only for being an effective leader, but also for adopting wholeheartedness—the key to living a happy and fulfilling life. Brown notes that authenticity and vulnerability are particularly important because they’re how we foster trust and connection—ingredients Covey notes are crucial for inspiring people.)

Requirement #3: Understand Others

The third requirement of becoming an upstanding person is to understand others. Understanding others means realizing people’s feelings and experiences from their perspective and doing so without judgment. Understanding others increases your ability to work effectively—people will be more open and collaborative toward you, which will enable you to develop effective and creative solutions.

Skills for Empathy

In Dare to Lead, Brown reiterates the importance of empathy for effective leaders, listing five skills leaders must master to practice empathy effectively. Like Covey, Brown notes that you must: 1) understand people's experiences from their perspective, 2) understand people’s feelings from their perspective, and 3) do so without judgment.

However, she adds that you must also 4) be able to articulate your understanding to make sure you’re on the same page. This requires you to pick up on the subtle differences between emotions like anger and disappointment, for example. Finally, you must 5) be mindful of your own emotions so they don’t negatively impact your communication and connection with others.

Commitment #2: Extend Faith to Others

Covey explains that the second commitment inspirational leaders uphold is to extend faith to people. Extending faith means not only seeing that everyone has a higher potential, but also believing that they have the ability to achieve it. Extending faith also requires leaders to give employees autonomy rather than micromanaging.

Covey says that extending faith to employees is important because it allows them to reach their full potential and maximize performance. Expressing your belief in someone’s abilities to perform at a high level, and granting them autonomy to do so on their own, inspires them to meet—and even exceed—your expectations. Further, having confidence in others is contagious: Your choice to believe in others will gradually ripple outward, increasing collaboration and strengthening relationships throughout the organization.

Enable Employees Through Trust, Autonomy, Tension, and Interdependency

Covey argues that you must enable employees to reach their full potential by extending trust and autonomy to them. In their article on Complexity Leadership Theory, Mary Uhl-Bien, Russ Marion, and Bill McKelvey reiterate this claim; however, their process for enabling employees is more dynamic than Covey’s.

First, the authors agree that granting employees trust and autonomy to complete tasks and solve problems inspires them to reach a higher creative potential. However, they add that to truly catalyze employee development, you must create tension that challenges them.

On a local level, you can create tension by having employees work in groups with diverse opinions, perspectives, and experiences. Challenging them to figure out problems on their own, with no intervening authority, will teach them to differentiate between interpersonal conflicts and task conflicts. On a global level, you can create tension by judiciously supplying resources or information to employees. This permits them to explore pathways that challenge them to enhance their learning and creativity.

Second, while Covey argues that having confidence in employees will inspire them to have confidence in and collaborate with others, these researchers recommend more targeted methods to encourage this phenomenon (what they call interdependency). On a local level, one way to do so is to promote informal interactions in which employees form connections (the well-being of one becomes linked with the well-being of another) and where they can share information and learn from each other. On a global level, organizations can promote interdependency by creating rules that require employees to work together—for example, having a group get feedback from another group rather than the leader.

Covey says that effectively extending faith relies on two foundations: setting clear expectations and practicing accountability.

Foundation #1: Set Specific, Mutually Agreed-Upon Expectations

Covey explains that employees can only meet your expectations if you’re specific about what they are. Otherwise, misunderstandings are likely to arise and both parties may end up disappointed.

To ensure a positive outcome, first, nail down specifics—what does “success” or completion of the task look like? What are the deadlines? What resources are available?

Then, discuss these expectations with employees and come to a mutual agreement. Genuinely consider any amendments employees may want to make. For example, if you want a task to be completed by Monday but the employee thinks Wednesday is better, accept the request as long as there are no major issues with it. Mutually agreeing on expectations provides employees with a sense of meaning behind their work—they’re doing things because those things are important and make sense, not just because you said so.

Set Expectations That Enhance, Rather Than Stifle, Creativity

Complexity Leadership Theory researchers warn that there’s a fine line between expectations that enhance creativity and those that stifle it. To set expectations that enhance creativity, create a general “mission” rather than establishing all details immediately. Creating a firm definition of “success,” as Covey recommends, can inhibit creativity and innovation, both of which thrive in environments of uncertainty.

For example, your goal could be to “create an improved system by October 30th.” Rather than specifying up front how this mission should be accomplished, what the exact outcome will be, and the resources available to do so, these details should be left open to change, as circumstances will change throughout the process. While CLT doesn’t mention creating mutually agreed-upon expectations, Covey’s recommendation for discourse between leaders and employees seems to be a crucial component to ensure adaptability throughout the process.

Foundation #2: Create an Accountability Plan

To ensure expectations are met, Covey says you must hold others accountable for progress and results. It’s unrealistic to tell someone what you want and expect that it will be perfect without checking in throughout the process. If things veer off track or an employee needs help, you want to be available to provide guidance.

Further, Covey emphasizes mutually agreeing upon accountability methods. Your methods of practicing accountability may compromise your extension of faith if the employee feels micromanaged. To avoid this outcome, co-create an accountability plan with the employee to instill a sense of autonomy and accountability.

CLT Balances Accountability With Autonomy

Complexity Leadership Theory researchers agree that leaders must ensure accountability without micromanaging by periodically checking in with employees. However, their methods differ from Covey’s in a couple of ways.

First, they don’t discuss creating mutually agreed-upon accountability plans—their concept of ensuring accountability is more informal. To do so, they recommend periodically checking on progress in relation to the mission—for example, what benchmarks should be met at a given point relative to the scope and deadline of the project?

Further, rather than warning employees if they veer off track or providing guidance, CLT asserts that leaders should remind employees of the project’s mission and offer technical support. Doing so refocuses employees on the goal without interfering with any creative or innovative path they may be taking. Once they’re refocused, they can decide for themselves if they need to change their methods.

Commitment #3: Foster Connection

Covey explains that the third commitment of inspirational leaders is to foster connection—connection to their source of inspiration, among their followers, and between their followers and a larger vision. Connection provides people with meaning and purpose, the building blocks of inspiration. Employees who feel connected are inspired to reach their full potential and to use that potential to produce quality work for the organization.

(Shortform note: Simon Sinek (Start With Why) agrees that meaning and purpose are the building blocks of inspiration, motivation, and action. To foster meaning and purpose, Sinek says you must define the “golden circle” of your organization. The bullseye of the circle is why—the purpose, cause, or belief that underpins why your organization does what it does. The inner ring of the circle is how—the principles and processes the organization follows to accomplish its why. The outer ring of the circle is what—the service or product the company offers and what the employee does.)

Connection #1: Connect to Your Source of Inspiration

Covey explains that to inspire others, you must first identify your own source of inspiration. To do this, ask yourself what’s most important to you and why.

For example, if you run a laundromat, reflect on why this business matters to you—why did you want to start it? Maybe it’s because your family couldn’t afford a washing machine when you were a child, and you were embarrassed by wearing dirty clothes. Your underlying inspiration might stem from the desire to provide affordable laundry services to people so everyone can feel confident and dignified with clean clothes.

(Shortform note: In Start With Why, Sinek similarly emphasizes the importance of connecting to your source of inspiration. However, he warns that many people grow distant from their why as their success grows. They tend to focus on the how and what of the golden circle and lose their ability to inspire. One way you can counter this pitfall is to regularly connect to your source of inspiration. For example, if your inspiration is your desire to make clean clothes accessible to all, you could hold a free wash day once a month and observe the impact you’re having on community members.)

Connection #2: Connect to Others

The second level of connection you must foster is connection with others. To connect with others, Covey argues that you must practice empathy and kindness. As discussed earlier, empathy is understanding people’s feelings and experiences from their perspective and doing so without judgment. Kindness is a step past empathy—you use your understanding of others to assist them based on their needs.

(Shortform note: While Covey argues that kindness is a progression of empathy, Paul Bloom suggests otherwise in Against Empathy. Bloom argues that rather than leading to kindness, empathy often leads to immoral actions—for example, recommending your recently fired friend for a position at your company even though they’re not qualified, ultimately setting them, and the company, up for failure. Further, Bloom argues that there are more effective ways to guide kindness, such as “consequentialism”—considering the likely outcomes of your actions so you can make the best decision.)

Covey cites two reasons for empathizing with and showing kindness to others. First, showing care for someone makes them more receptive to you and therefore more likely to be inspired by you. Second, connecting helps you identify an individual’s personal sources of inspiration. You can then link this to the organization’s larger purpose, motivating the individual to produce superior work to achieve it.

(Shortform note: Empathy is a proven way to inspire and influence people; however, it can also be a form of manipulation. Experts explain that some people feign empathy or use their understanding of other people’s emotions to gain compliance. In other words, they use Covey’s tactics for personal gain rather than to benefit their followers and organization. To use Covey’s empathy tactics in a positive way, ensure that your intended results don’t come at the cost of others' well-being.)

Connection #3: Connect to Something Larger Than Yourself

The final level of connection Covey says you must foster to be inspirational is connection with something larger than yourself. This requires you to nurture connections among individuals in the group and among individuals and the group’s larger purpose. Doing this inspires people by infusing them with belonging and purpose.

(Shortform note: Psychologists explain that belonging and purpose motivate people due to our survival instincts. In early human history, being part of a group was necessary for survival—it minimized the risk of starvation and attacks from animals. As a result, we’re motivated to become members of a larger group because doing so satisfies our evolutionary instinct. Further, one of the reasons we may crave purpose is that it makes us feel needed. This is linked to our desire for belonging because if we’re needed, we’re less likely to be abandoned by the group.)

On a smaller scale, building connections between group members fosters camaraderie and establishes a shared identity and sense of belonging. This inspires collaboration and excellent performance among individuals because they want to uphold their roles in the group and make their team members proud.

(Shortform note: In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni also discusses the importance of building trust and connections between employees and provides a few specific ways to do so. For example, Lencioni suggests having team members share their personal histories—this vulnerability will help people find common ground and trust each other. Taking and sharing behavioral and personality profiles can also build connections by helping group members understand each other better.)

More broadly, providing an overarching vision for the group makes members feel instrumental in achieving something meaningful. Covey explains that this sense of being part of a larger purpose inspires people, as it fulfills our innate need for belonging and meaning.

(Shortform note: In First Things First, Covey Sr. similarly emphasizes the importance of creating a shared vision to inspire people. To do so, he says you must create an empowering mission statement that: focuses on a purpose people are passionate about; comes from the employee rather than the administrative level; is based on universal principles like fairness and human dignity; addresses everyone's needs; and addresses the four human needs to live, love, learn, and leave a legacy.)