Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others | Stephen M.R. Covey

From the bestselling author of The Speed of Trust, a revolutionary new way to lead, deemed “the defining leadership book in the 21st century” (Admiral William McRaven, author of Make Your Bed) that “every parent, teacher, and leader needs” (Esther Wojcicki, author of How to Raise Successful People).

We have a leadership crisis today, where even though our world has changed drastically, our leadership style has not. Most organizations, teams, schools, and families today still operate from a model of “command and control,” focusing on hierarchies and compliance from people. But because of the changing nature of the world, the workforce, work itself, and the choices we have for where and how to work and live, this way of leading is drastically outdated.

Stephen M.R. Covey has made it his life’s work to understand trust in leadership and organizations. In his newest and most transformative book, Trust and Inspire, he offers a simple yet bold solution: to shift from this “command and control” model to a leadership style of “trust and inspire.” People don’t want to be managed; they want to be led. Trust and Inspire is a new way of leading that starts with the belief that people are creative, collaborative, and full of potential. People with this kind of leader are inspired to become the best version of themselves and to produce their best work. In this “beautifully written page-turner” (Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School professor), Covey offers the solution to the future of work: where a dispersed workforce will be the norm, necessitating trust and collaboration across time zones, cultures, personalities, generations, and technology.

Trust and Inspire calls for a radical shift in the way we lead in the 21st century, and Covey shows us how.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“As tens of millions of people have come to expect of books with 'Covey' on the cover, this one is superb on every level.”
—Forbes

"Every leader, every manager, every person interested in how best to connect with others, should read this book! It will be the defining book for leadership in the 21st century."
—WILLIAM H. McRAVEN, 4-Star Admiral & Commander of US Special Operations (Ret.), former Chancellor of University of Texas system, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Your Bed

"The need to move to a new style of leadership, one relevant for the new world of work, has never been more important."
—SATYA NADELLA, Chairman & CEO, Microsoft

"Every parent, every teacher, every leader needs this book."
—ESTHER WOJCICKI, educator, journalist, author of How to Raise Successful People 

"For years, I have told people that my favorite book is The Speed of Trust—after reading Trust & Inspire, I now have to say I have two favorite books."
—ERIC YUAN, founder and CEO, Zoom Video Communications

"A beautifully written page-turner, full of engaging stories integrating the author's personal experiences with research-backed insights to show how to lead in a world that has never been more in need of leadership."
—AMY EDMONDSON, Harvard Business School professor, Thinkers50 #1 Thinker in the World

"This book is brimming with ideas on how to bring out the best in people."
—ADAM GRANT, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast Worklife

"Trust & Inspire is the compelling answer to the traditional 'command and control' and 'carrot and stick' approach to leading people. It provides a practical framework and process for bringing out the best in ourselves-and the best in others."
—FRANCES FREI, Harvard Business School professor, co-author of Unleashed

"Trust & Inspire is the future of leadership."
—TONY ROBBINS, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"For fifty years we have heard that we need to move away from 'command and control' leadership. But nobody has named what we should do instead! That's what Stephen M.R. Covey boldly and brilliantly does in the words, and the book, Trust & Inspire. Isn't that what we want? Fifty years from now nobody will speak of command and control without saying 'trust and inspire'. It's going to become a part of our language, a part of what management itself means. As a great leader himself, Stephen will, though this book, unleash the greatness within you.
—GREG McKEOWN, author of the New York Times bestseller, Effortless, and the host of the What’s Essential podcast

"Trust & Inspire is the future of education."
—CATHY QUIROZ MOORE, Superintendent, Wake County Public School System

"Trust & Inspire is a powerful approach to people and leadership found precisely at the intersection of performance and purpose."
—INDRA NOOYI, former Chairman & CED, PepsiCo

"Like the gardener described in this book, the job of leaders is to create an environment where the seeds of greatness within people are able to flourish. Trust & Inspire powerfully demonstrates how to cultivate this kind of growth in any setting."
—MUHAMMAD YUNUS, 2006 Nobel Peace Price winner, founder of Grameen Bank

"[A] spirited appeal for managers to shift from a 'command and control' leadership approach to a 'trust and inspire' one....Covey makes a strong case that 'trust and inspire' leadership helps retain more employees, fosters their best work, and improves the company’s finances....Readers will appreciate his positive spin....a solid reminder that if leaders continue prioritizing 'getting results' over building relationships, they’ll do neither."
—Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Stephen M. R. Covey is cofounder and CEO of CoveyLink and of the FranklinCovey Global Trust Practice, and the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Speed of Trust. A sought-after and compelling keynote speaker, author, and advisor on trust, leadership, ethics, culture, and collaboration, Covey speaks to audiences around the world. A Harvard MBA, he is the former CEO of Covey Leadership Center, which under his stewardship became the largest leadership development company in the world. Covey resides with his wife and children in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains.