The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything by Stephen M.R. Covey Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything
Book Review: A Description of the Advantages of Forming Trust, the Psychology of Trust, and How to Build Trust
Summary: 4 Stars
Trust can make things easier, and distrust can definitely make things much harder. You already know that. But do you know how to check out where you need to change in order to create more beneficial trust? The Speed of Trust can help those who need a template for such self-examination.
Mr. Stephen M. R. Covey is the son of Dr. Stephen R. Covey of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People fame. If you've read that famous book, you may remember young Stephen referred to by his father as the seven-year-old son who was asked to keep the yard "clean and green" and did neither at first. Dr. Covey writes the foreword for this book and refers to that example. Ms. Rebecca Merrill helped with the writing of Dr. Stephen R. Covey's book First Things First which was coauthored by Roger Merrill.
Trust is expressed by a paradigm that includes five waves of trust (self trust based on the principle of credibility, relationship trust based on the principle of proper behavior, organizational trust based on the principle of alignment, market trust based on the principle of reputation, and societal trust based on the principle of contribution). Most of the book is taken up with examining those five waves and their underlying principles. The core of the book comes, however, in the 13 behaviors that establish trust (talk straight, demonstrate respect, create transparency, right wrongs, show loyalty, get better, confront reality, clarify expectations, practice accountability, listen first, keep commitments, and extend trust). Each section of the book comes with ways to check on your performance and to create plans for improvement.
This book is by far the best development of the subject of creating and restoring trust that I have read. That makes the book an essential reference. I congratulate and appreciate the authors for tackling this important subject.
I would be remiss, however, in being a trustworthy reviewer if I didn't point out some weaknesses in the approach:
1. Some of the examples of trust and mistrust drawn from Mr. Covey's experiences aren't terribly satisfying to read. Perhaps the most jarring example is one of the early ones in the book that describes the distrust that the Franklin Quest people felt toward him after the company merged with Covey Leadership Center. Mr. Covey comes across as unbelievably naive for not having taken into account how the two cultures should mesh (if at all) in engineering the merger. That's a more fundamental lesson than the lack of trust point. In addition, he doesn't seem to realize that merely being the son of the company's founder would make many people who didn't know him skeptical of his qualifications and his talent. Having read about how naive Mr. Covey was in this situation undercut my confidence in his ability to address the subject of trust. But I did appreciate his willingness to share such a painful experience in his book.
2. Most of the examples that are cited that do not involve Mr. Covey's direct experience are very overused. They same examples have been used to prove excellence in many other dimensions. As a result, the book doesn't come alive as much as it might. The examples conjure up memories of other books and arguments rather than cleanly bringing across the authors' trust-related points.
3. The book's structure and style are pretty pedantic, but without the precision that an academic would bring to the subject. In most areas, the authors rely on your sense of what's right rather than giving you clear lines of what to do and what not to do. That's fine if you already have a well-defined sense of how trust is formed and re-established. But if you don't know the answers already because you haven't lived in that kind of an environment, the book will leave you with too little direction.
4. Ultimately, long sections of the book are very general and boring. The major exceptions are the examples drawn from Mr. Covey's own family. I found those examples to be fresh and interesting.
After you finish this book, I suggest that you think about those who have gained your trust and distrust. What did they do? Examining those personal examples will add a lot of depth to the general ideas presented here.
Book Review: A Must Read
Summary: 5 Stars
A must read for realizing the importance of trust and reminding yourself how important it is to continue building your integrity and trust with yourself and with others.
No matter whether its a professional or personal relation, if you have trust--the speed of getting things done is just amazing.
Adesh
Book Review: Excellent book for all
Summary: 5 Stars
Given that trust is fundamental for all relationships, whether business or personal, this book does an outstanding job in explaining what trust is, how it is lost and gained, and what the key behaviors are that build it. Most of this is common sense, but it is explained in a logical and easy to understand manner. I recommend this book if you are interested in building trust and developing stronger relationships.Book Review: For leadership training, this is the pinnacle
Summary: 5 Stars
Having read many leadership related books and been trained in many seminars, nothing compares with the guiding principles in this book.
This book should change the way you think about how you lead and who you lead. It not just inspires, it changes you to be a trusted leader. The result? You change for good the world around you!
The negative will say this is idealistic, but in reality it is possible with those that commit to the importance of these guiding principles.
The bottom line is that most organizations are disfunctional because of low trust cultures. However, you can be the one penetrating these cultures strong trusting leadership.
The question is: can you arise to the challenge of being a true leader?
This book defined my leadership roadmap for the remainder of my career.
Book Review: Instant Classic - Top Shelf
Summary: 5 Stars
Within minutes of reading this book I knew it was going to be great. The book explains how trust is the driving force behind all efficient, successful businesses. Covey gets into different types of trust and some self assessments to determine what areas the reader is strong or weak in. The book can be applied to business, community and family. Without a doubt it goes on the short list of powerful, life-changing books!