The Speed Of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything

The book’s structure reflects Covey’s conception of trust as a dynamic, multifaceted construct that permeates every aspect of human interactions. Covey uses the book’s various sections to explore trust’s role in personal, professional, organizational, societal, and market contexts while offering insights into its cultivation, restoration, and beneficial impacts.

At the heart of Covey’s exploration of trust is the belief that trust is not a soft, intangible quality but a measurable, actionable asset that has a significant and tangible impact. However, if trust often translates into concrete “taxes” and “dividends,” that does not mean that trust itself is simple or straightforward. Rather, Covey argues that it involves numerous interrelated traits and behaviors. This conceptualization of trust begins at an individual level, where Covey emphasizes the principle of credibility, derived from four core components: integrity, intent, capabilities, and results. He states that trust in oneself forms the foundation for interpersonal trust. In discussing these cores, Covey provides a roadmap for personal development and trust enhancement, underscoring the reciprocal nature of trust, wherein one’s credibility influences not only self-confidence but also how others perceive one.

Moving from individual trust to the broader organizational context, Covey elaborates on the power of trust as an operational system within organizations, markets, and societies. Many of the same principles Covey previously associates with individuals apply here as well: For instance, Covey contends that high-trust organizations are characterized by a culture of transparency, collaboration, and accountability, leading to superior performance and innovation. Leaders play a crucial role here, as their character and credibility directly influence the trust levels within the organization. At a societal level, Covey presents trust as the glue that holds communities together and allows them to function effectively. In this way, Covey illustrates that trust operates at multiple levels, each interconnected with and impacting the others.

Trust’s complexity also emerges in Covey’s discussion of its mutability; he frames trust as a relational phenomenon constantly influenced by a range of behaviors. Trust can therefore sometimes be rebuilt through a combination of honesty, respect, accountability, and courage. At the same time, Covey stresses the need for smart trust, a balanced approach that blends trust and analysis to avoid naive trust or cynicism. One’s approach to trust, Covey implies, must be as nuanced as trust itself.

Covey challenges the notion that trust is something one either inspires or does not, presenting trust as a concrete attribute that can be learned, nurtured, and restored with conscientious efforts. This perspective lends an actionable outlook to the way people approach trust.

Covey’s exploration of trust starts with the self. He introduces the concept of self-trust underpinned by the bedrock of personal credibility, but this credibility is not some inborn trait or arbitrary attribute. Rather, it comprises four clear-cut elements: integrity, intent, capabilities, and results. By shedding light on these “cores,” Covey not only presents a roadmap to being trustworthy but also substantiates the notion that trust can be learned. It is a skill set that can be fostered through conscious and directed efforts. This also suggests that enhancing one’s personal credibility and trustworthiness involves a continuous journey of self-reflection, character building, and personal growth.

Building on the concept of trust’s learnability, Covey identifies 13 behaviors that engender trust. They range from talking straight to demonstrating respect and can all be adopted and cultivated intentionally. Covey’s emphasis on trust as a relational phenomenon also tends to underscore its plasticity. By changing the way they engage with people, Covey argues, readers can make trust palpable in both personal and professional relationships.

Acknowledging that trust can be damaged, Covey extends his paradigm, emphasizing that trust can be restored. He outlines a path to this restoration, anchoring it in honesty, respect, accountability, and confrontation of reality. The narrative of Nelson Mandela features as a testament to the potency of forgiveness and its integral role in restoring trust. Mandela’s journey, filled with instances of trust breached and restored, embodies the very essence of Covey’s philosophy on the restorability of trust.

In its entirety, the book aims to deliver a comprehensive dissection of trust, unpacking it as a learnable, malleable entity that can be systematically developed and restored. Covey positions his principles as a guidebook for individuals, teams, and organizations seeking to understand, foster, and sustain trust in their relationships. If trust is the most vital currency in the realm of human interactions, Covey suggests it is an asset that people can learn to amass and restore.