The Speed of Trust

How can we build trust? Stephen Covey tackles this question, both universal and thorny, in convincing fashion. He begins by distinguishing the four pillars that make us credible in our own eyes and in those of others: our integrity; the clarity of our intentions; our capabilities in the domain in which we aspire to inspire trust; and the results we demonstrate. He insists on the complementarity of these pillars and clearly exposes the role played by each of them. He then goes on to detail thirteen very concrete behaviors that are essential to building trust—for example, speaking frankly, correcting our mistakes, etc. For each of them, he describes what it entails in our daily lives and sets out specific advice on how to improve.