13behaviorsOF A HIGH TRUST LEADERS T E P H E N C O V E Y

whatWhat separates the great leaders from the good ones? What makes a manager a manager of choice by her reports, peers, and boss? What makes an individual credible with customers, suppliers, distributors, investors, and other stakeholders? While there are many dimensions to these questions, there is one common thread throughout: being

an individual who can be trusted.

Perhaps a more important question than, Who do you trust? is the far more personal question of, Who trusts

you? There are some organizations who ask all their employees directly the following simple, key question in

formal 360 feedback processes, Do you trust your boss?

These companies have learned that the answer to this question is more predictive of team and organizational

success than perhaps any other question they might ask.

A High Trust Leader is an individual who has unquestionably strong personal credibility, has the ability to create

and grow trust with others interpersonally, and who is then able to extend that trust organizationally. High Trust

Leaders are managers of choice who understand the impact trust always plays on two key outcomesspeed and

costand how low or high trust either extracts a tax or produces a dividend on every activity and dimension within

a relationship, team, or organization. High Trust Leaders have learned how to interact with others in ways that

increase trust levels while avoiding the pitfalls that deplete trust. While there are numerous actions and behaviors

that affect trust accounts, we have identified the 13 key behaviors that High Trust Leaders have in common (the

first five behaviors are primarily character-based; the second five are primarily competence based; the last three

are equal parts character and competence).

As you go through these behaviors, you may also find it valuable to consider the opposite of these 13 behaviors

and how such withdrawals deplete trust.

Whats most exciting is that these 13 Behaviors of High Trust Leaders can be learned and applied by any influencer

at any level within any organization. The net result will be a significantly increased ability to generate trust with all

stakeholders in order to achieve better results.

Almost everywhere we turn, trust is on the decline. Trust in our culture at large, in our institutions, and in our

companies is significantly lower than a generation ago. Research shows that only 49% of employees trust

senior management, and only 28% believe CEOs are a credible source of information. Consider the loss of trust

and confidence in the financial markets today. Indeed, trust makes the world go round, and right now were

experiencing a crisis of trust. This crisis compels us to ask three questions. First, is there a measurable cost to low

trust? Second, is there a tangible benefit to high trust? Third, how can the best leaders build trust in and within their

organizations to reap the benefits of high trust?

The first job of any leader is to inspire trust. Trust is confidence born of two dimensions: character and

competence. Character includes your integrity, motive, and intent with people. Competence includes your

capabilities, skills, results, and track record. Both dimensions are vital.

With the increasing focus on ethics in our society, the character side of trust is fast becoming the price of entry in

the new global economy. However, the differentiating and often ignored side of trust -- competence -- is equally

essential. You might think a person is sincere, even honest, but you wont trust that person fully if he or she doesnt

get results. And the opposite is true. A person might have great skills and talents and a good track record, but if he

or she is not honest, youre not going to trust that person either.

The best leaders begin by framing trust in economic terms for their companies. When an organization recognizes

that it has low trust, huge economic consequences can be expected. Everything will take longer and everything will

cost more because of the steps organizations will need to take to compensate for their lack of trust. These costs

can be quantified and, when they are, suddenly leaders recognize how low trust is not merely a social issue, but

that it is an economic matter. The dividends of high trust can be similarly quantified, enabling leaders to make a

compelling business case for trust.

The best leaders then focus on making the creation of trust an explicit objective. It must become like any other

goal that is focused on, measured, and improved. It must be communicated that trust matters to management and

leadership. It must be expressed that it is the right thing to do and it is the economic thing to do. One of the best

ways to do this is to make an initial baseline measurement of organizational trust and then to track improvements

over time.

The true transformation starts with building credibility at the personal level. The foundation of trust is your own

credibility, and it can be a real differentiator for any leader. A persons reputation is a direct reflection of their

credibility, and it precedes them in any interactions or negotiations they might have. When a leaders credibility and

reputation are high, it enables them to establish trust fast -- speed goes up, cost goes down.

Consider the example of Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (and generally considered one of the most

trusted leaders in the world), who completed a major acquisition of McLane Distribution (a $23 billion company)

from Wal-Mart. As public companies, both Berkshire Hathaway and Wal-Mart are subject to all kinds of market

and regulatory scrutiny. Typically, a merger of this size would take several months to complete and cost several

million dollars to pay for accountants, auditors, and attorneys to verify and validate all kinds of information. But in

this instance, because both parties operated with high trust, the deal was made with one two-hour meeting and a

handshake. In less than a month, it was completed. High trust, high speed, low cost.

Remember that these 13 Behaviors always need to be balanced by each other (e.g., Talk Straight needs to be

balanced by Demonstrate Respect) and that any behavior pushed to the extreme can become a weakness.

Depending on your roles and responsibilities, you may have more or less influence on others. However, you can

always have extraordinary influence on your starting points: Self-Trust (the confidence you have in yourself -- in

your ability to set and achieve goals, to keep commitments, to walk your talk, and also with your ability to inspire

trust in others) and Relationship Trust (how to establish and increase the trust accounts we have with others).

The job of a leader is to go first, to extend trust first. Not a blind trust without expectations and accountability, but

rather a smart trust with clear expectations and strong accountability built into the process. The best leaders

always lead out with a decided propensity to trust, as opposed to a propensity not to trust. As Craig Weatherup,

former CEO of PepsiCo said, Trust cannot become a performance multiplier unless the leader is prepared to go

first.

The best leaders recognize that trust impacts us 24/7, 365 days a year. It undergirds and affects the quality of

every relationship, every communication, every work project, every business venture, every effort in which we are

engaged. It changes the quality of every present moment and alters the trajectory and outcome of every future

moment of our lives both personally and professionally. I am convinced that in every situation, nothing is as fast

as the speed of trust.

-Stephen Covey

behavior 1The people who I have trouble withare people who tend to not give me full information.

They purposefully leave out certain parts of the story-they distort the facts.

-Shelly Lazarus, Chairman & CEO of Ogilvy & Mather

Be honest.

Tell the truth.

Let people know where you stand

Use simple language.

Call things what they are.

Demonstrate integrity.

Dont manipulate people or distort facts.

Dont spin the truth.

Dont leave false impressions.

The opposite behavior of Talk Straight is to lie and deceive. Such behaviors create a huge tax on interactions -

either immediately or at some later time when the deception is discovered.

AFTERTHOUGHTS:

What keeps me from talking straight?

What keeps me from getting my point across quickly?

BEHAVIOR 1: TALK STRAIGHT

behavior 2BEHAVIOR 2: DEMONSTRATE RESPECTYou can judge a persons character by the way he

treats people who can help him or hurt him.

-Anonymous

Genuinely care for others.

Respect the dignity of every person and every role.

Treat everyone with respect, especially those who cant do anything for you.

Show kindness in the little things.

Dont attempt to be efficient with people.

Show you care.

Thank-you notes

Give Acknowledgement

The opposite behavior of Demonstrate Respect is to not respect other people. This is commonly experienced as

showing disrespect, which is a huge issue, both at work and at home. The counterfeit of Demonstrate Respect

is to fake respect or concern, or, most insidious of all, to show respect and concern for some (those who can do

something for you), but not for all (those who cant).

AFTERTHOUGHTS

What are some things I do that are not respectful of others?

Think about specific things you can do to show others you care about them.

Strong reputations result when companies are

transparent in the way they conduct their affairs.

-Charles Fombrun, Author of Reputation

Tell the truth in a way that people can verify.

Get real and genuine.

Be open and authentic.

Err on the side of disclosure.

Dont have hidden agendas.

Operate on the premise of What you see is what you get.

Dont hide information.

The opposite behavior of Create Transparency is to hide, cover, obscure, or make dark. It includes hoarding,

withholding, having secrets and failing to disclose. The counterfeit of Create Transparency is illusion. Its

pretending, seeming rather than being, making things appear different that they really are.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

If youre in a position of leadership, rate the transparency of the firm with regard to your various stakeholders.

Then consider each situation and ask yourself: If we were more transparent, what differences would it make?

Look for ways to appropriately increase transparency-and trust dividends.

behavior 3BEHAVIOR 3: CREATE TRANSPARENCY

To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice.

-Confucius

Make things right when youre wrong.

Apologize quickly.

Make restitution where possible.

Demonstrate personal humility.

Dont cover things up.

Dont let pride get in the way of doing the right thing.

The opposite behavior of Right Wrongs is to deny or justify wrongs, to rationalize wrongful behavior, or to fail to

admit mistakes until youre forced to do so. It involves ego and pride. The counterfeit of Right Wrongs is to cover

up. Its trying to hide a mistake, as opposed to repairing it. Right Wrongs is more than just apologizing, its also

making restitution. Its doing what you can to correct a mistake, and then a little bit more.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

The next time you make a mistake, pay attention to your response. Do you ignore it, justify it, or cover it up?

The next time someone has wronged you, be quick to forgive.

behavior 4BEHAVIOR 4: RIGHT WRONGS

To retain those you are present, be loyal to those who are absent.

-Steven R. Covey

Give credit freely.

Acknowledge the contributions of others.

Speak about people as if they were present.

Dont bad-mouth others behind their backs.

Represent others who arent there to speak for themselves.

Dont disclose others private information.

The opposite behavior of showing loyalty is speaking about others as if they were present-of selling people out or

not representing them fairly when theyre not in a position to do so themselves. The counterfeit of this behavior,

which is equally destructive, is sweet talking people to their faces and bad-mouthing them behind their backs.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

The next time you work with others on a project at work or at home, go out of your way to give credit freely.

behavior 5BEHAVIOR 5: SHOW LOYALTY

We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Establish a track record of results.

Get the right things done.

Make things happen.

Accomplish what youre hired to do.

Be on time and within budget.

Dont overpromise and under-deliver.

Dont make excuses for not delivering.

The opposite of Deliver Results is performing poorly or failing to deliver. The counterfeit of this behavior, is

delivering activities instead of results.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

With customers or with coworkers, try to anticipate needs in advance and deliver before the request even come.

Anticipating needs will give an added dividend to the deposit in the trust account.

The next time you plan to deliver results, make sure you thoroughly understand the expectation.

The next time you make a commitment to deliver results, stop and ask yourself if the commitment is realistic.

behavior 6BEHAVIOR 6: DELIVER RESULTS

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write,

but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.

-Alvin Toffler

Continuously improve.

Be a consistent leader.

Dont consider yourself above feedback.

Thank people for feedback.

Act on the feedback you receive.

Increase your capabilities.

Dont assume that todays knowledge and skills will be sufficient for tomorrows challenge.

The opposite of Get Better is entropy, deterioration, resting on your laurels or becoming irrelevant. With the pace

of todays world, if you arent making a conscious effort to get better, youre not just standing still; youre getting

further behind. The counterfeits of this behavior include; the eternal student, the person who is always learning

but never producing. The second is trying to force-fit everything into whatever youre good at doing.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

The next time you make a mistake, rather than agonizing over it, reframe it as feedback.

If you have a leadership role in your team, take steps to create an environment that makes it safe to make

mistakes. Encourage others to take the appropriate risks and to learn from failure so that you create high trust,

high synergy and high-level productivity.

behavior 7BEHAVIOR 7: GET BETTER

behavior 8BEHAVIOR 8: CONFRONT REALITYThe first responsibilities of a leader are to define reality.

-Max DePree, Chairman & CEO, Herman Miller

Address the tough stuff directly.

Acknowledge the unsaid.

Dont skirt the real issues.

Lead out courageously in conversation.

Remove the sword from their hands.

Dont burry your head in the sand.

The opposite of Confront Reality is to ignore it, to act as though it doesnt exist. Its burying your head in the

sand, thinking that maybe it will go away or thats its not really there after all. The counterfeit is to act as though

youre confronting reality when youre actually evading it. Its focusing on busywork while skirting the real issues.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

The next time you feel reluctant to confront reality at work, explore your feelings. Consider the consequences of

not confronting reality.

If you feel uncomfortable in a personal or professional relationship, ask yourself why. Is there some issue thats

getting in the way or creating an open, high-trust relationship? Consider confronting the issue head-on, with

respect.

behavior 9BEHAVIOR 9: CLARIFY EXPECTATIONSAlmost all conflict is result of violated expectations.

-Blaine Lee, Author of The Power Principle

Disclose and reveal expectations.

Discuss them.

Validate them.

Renegotiate them if needed and possible.

Dont violate expectations.

Dont assume that expectations are clear or shared.

The opposite of Clarify Expectations is to leave expectations undefined-to assume theyre already known, or to

fail to disclose them so there is no shared vision of the desired outcomes. This causes people to guess, wonder, or

assume what expectations might be. The counterfeit is to create smoke and mirrors- to give lip service to clarify

expectations, but fail to pin down the specifics (results, deadlines, or dollars and cents) that facilitate meaningful

accountability.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

When you communicate with others, recognize that clarity is power. One way of checking to see if your

communication has been clear is to ask them if they have any questions.

The next time you have a project at work, create a clear project agreement in advance. If youre in charge,

call everyone together and encourage them to express any ideas and concerns. If youre not in charge, either

suggest the idea to your team leader or write up an agreement on your own.

behavior 10BEHAVIOR 10: PRACTICE ACCOUNTABILITYA good leader takes more than their fair share of the blame and gives more than their share of credit.

-Arnold Glasnow

Hold yourself accountable.

Hold others accountable.

Take responsibility for results.

Be clear on how youll communicate how youre doing and how others are doing.

Dont assume that expectations are clear or shared.

Dont avoid or shrink responsibility.

Dont blame others or point fingers when things go wrong.

The opposite of Practice Accountability is to not take responsibility, to not own up, but rather to say, Its not my

fault. The counterfeit is to point fingers and blame others, to say, Its their fault. Always clarify expectations first

so that everyone knows what theyre accountable for and by when. Hold your direct reports accountable for their

actions as well.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

Listen you your language and to you thoughts. When things go wrong and you find yourself blaming or accusing

others, stop.

Keep in mind that accountability should be across the board. When performers are held accountable while

others are not, it causes the performers to have to pick up the perceived slack and can lead to burn-out.

behavior 11BEHAVIOR 11: LISTEN FIRSTIf there is any great secret of success in life, it lies in the ability to put yourself in the other

persons place and to see things from his point of view, as well as your own.

-Henry Ford

Listen before you speak.

Understand.

Listen with your ears, your eyes and your heart.

Find out what the most important behaviors are to the people you are working with.

Dont assume that you know what matters most to others.

Diagnose.

Dont presume you have all the answers or all the questions.

The opposite of Listen First is to speak first and listen last- or not to listen at all. Its focusing on getting out your

agenda without considering whether others may have information, ideas, or perspectives that could influence what

you have to say. The counterfeit is pretend listening. Its spending listening time thinking about your reply and

just waiting for your turn to speak. Or its listening without understanding. Take proactive steps in your company

to understand other stakeholders, both internal and external. Dont get caught up in the illusions that you know

everything or have all the right answers.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

The next time you are in a conversation, stop and ask yourself, Have I really listened to this other person? Do

I really understand how he or she feels?

Think back over your interactions with others during the past week. Think of a time when you did or didnt listen

first. What were the results? What would have been the results if you had behaved differently?

behavior 12BEHAVIOR 12: KEEP COMMITMENTSIt is a leaders responsibility to demonstrate what it means to

keep your word and earn a reputation for trustworthiness.

-Hank Paulson, Chairman & CEO, Goldman Sachs

Say what youre going to do, then do what you say youre going to do.

Dont break confidences.

Make commitments carefully and keep them.

Make keeping commitments the symbol of your honor.

Dont attempt to PR your way out of a commitment youre broken.

The opposite of Keep Commitments is to break commitments or violate promises; this is without question, the

quickest way to destroy trust. The counterfeit of this behavior is to make commitments that are so vague or elusive

that nobody can pin you down, or, even worse, to be so afraid of breaking commitments that you dont even make

any in the first place.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

The next time you make a commitment to someone at work, be sure the commitment is realistic. Even if you

have disappointed someone, its far better to do it up front than to over promise and under deliver.

In establishing a new relationship where you want to build trust fast, find a value-added reason to make a

commitment and keep it and do it again and again and again. As you implement this Make-Keep-

Repeat cycle, notice how quickly the trust account grows.

behavior 13BEHAVIOR 13: EXTEND TRUSTTrust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Demonstrate a propensity to trust.

Extend trust abundantly to those who have earned your trust.

Extend conditionally to those who are earning your trust.

Learn how to appropriately extend trust to others

Take into consideration the situation, risk and credibility of the people involved.

Dont withhold trust because there is risk involved.

The opposite of Extend Trust is to withhold trust, which creates an enormous cost everywhere, especially in

organizations. The counterfeit of Extend Trust, takes two forms. The first is extending false trust. Its giving

people the responsibility, but not the authority or resources, to get a task done. The second is extending fake

trust, acting like you trust someone when you really dont. In other words, you entrust someone with a job, but at

the end of the day, you snoopervise, hover over or big brother the person, or perhaps even so his job for him.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

Think about a relationship where you feel someone doesnt trust you. Ask yourself, Could this persons lack of

trust in me, at least in part, be a reflection of my own lack of trust in him or her?

On a scale of one to ten, determine where you think you are in terms of extending trust to others. Imagine the

result of moving your performance point to the left (extending less trust) and then to the right (extending more

trust). If you rated yourself a five or less, identify one or two steps you could take to extend more trust.