Smart Trust: The Defining Skill that Transforms Managers into Leaders

For fans of Radical Candor, Leaders Eat Last, and Covey’s original bestseller, The Speed of Trust.

Unleash the hidden power of trust, change lives, and influence your organization with proven, patented techniques.

When Stephen M.R. Covey wrote The Speed of Trust in 2006, he had no idea the book would sell over 2 million copies in twenty-two languages and become a worldwide phenomenon. His belief in the hidden power of trust to change lives and impact organizations is now expanded in Smart Trust: Creating Prosperity, Energy, and Joy in a Low-Trust World.

Trust in the modern workplace cannot be overstated. Trusted people are more likely to be hired and promoted, get the best projects and bigger budgets, and are typically the last group to be laid off. In an increasingly unpredictable marketplace, understanding and applying the tenets of Smart Trust will increase your probability of thriving personally and professionally. Additionally, your sound judgment and ability to trust in this low-trust world will give you a tremendous competitive advantage—and the capacity to navigate the organizational uncertainty that low trust creates.

In a compelling and readable style, Covey and his long-time business partner Greg Link share enlightening principles and anecdotes of people and organizations that are not only achieving unprecedented prosperity from high-trust relationships but—even more inspiring—also attaining elevated levels of energy and joy.

Stephen M. R. Covey is the New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Speed of Trust, which has been translated into twenty-two languages and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. He is also the author of the newly released Wall Street Journal bestseller, Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others, which was named as the #1 Leadership Book of 2022 by the Outstanding Work of Literature Awards. Stephen brings to his writings the perspective of a practitioner, as he is the former President and CEO of the Covey Leadership Center, where he increased shareholder value by sixty-seven times and grew the company to become the largest leadership development firm in the world. A Harvard MBA, Stephen cofounded and currently leads FranklinCovey’s Global Speed of Trust Practice. He serves on numerous boards, including the Government Leadership Advisory Council, and he has been recognized with the lifetime Achievement Award for “Top Thought Leaders in Trust” from the advocacy group, Trust Across America/Trust Around the World. Stephen is a highly sought-after international speaker who has taught trust and leadership in fifty-seven countries to business, government, military, education, healthcare, and NGO entities.

Greg Link is co-founder of CoveyLink, FranklinCovey’s Global Speed of Trust Practice, and the former Covey Leadership Center. A trusted executive confidant, advisor, and compelling speaker, Link is a recognized authority on trust, leadership, sales, marketing, and high performance. He led the strategy that propelled Covey's father's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, to one of the two most influential business books of the twentieth century.

Rebecca A. Merrill has served in numerous leadership positions in community, education, and women’s organizations. Coauthor of Connections: Quadrant II Time Management, she also assisted Stephen R. Covey on The 7 Habits Highly Effective People.