Stephen M.R. Covey is doubling down on trust. Having written the 2006 bestseller “The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything,” Covey now returns with “Trust and Inspire,” which explores how leadership and management styles haven’t kept pace with ongoing changes in work culture. Head of Franklin Covey’s Speed of Trust Practice and a keynote speaker at ABC Convention 2023 in March, Covey thinks it’s time for “a new kind leader.” In this excerpt from “Trust and Inspire,” he explains why:
For decades, we’ve been getting away with a tired, out-of-date leadership style that we’ve patched and propped up to try to make work for our changing world. But incremental improvements within a flawed paradigm will no longer work. While our world has changed, our way of leading has not. It’s time for a new style of leadership—one that is relevant for our times.
Not only has the world changed, so has the nature of work itself, along with the workplace and the workforce. Inclusion, collaboration and innovation are no longer simply buzzwords but are the price of entry to being successful in our current as well as every future reality. Our constantly disruptive environment continues to create infinite choice and possibilities for a rapidly evolving, dispersed and diverse workforce.
This workforce demands a new kind of leader—a leader who can see, develop and unleash the greatness in every person. A leader who can model authentic behavior with humility and courage. A leader who can inspire others to willingly give their hearts and minds because they want to contribute meaningfully to something that matters.
Anyone can be this kind of leader. Everyone needs this kind of leader. Every child, every home, every classroom. Every colleague, team, organization, industry and country.
