What if I told you that while the world has undergone profound changes, our leadership approaches have remained largely stagnant? What if, instead of relying on hierarchical structures and top-down directives, leaders embraced a more effective approach based on trust and inspiration?

In this episode of the Insight Out, I have the pleasure of sitting down with none other than Stephen M.R. Covey, a renowned author and an authority on leadership. We dive deep into the transformative power of trust and how it serves as a cornerstone of inspiration in leadership. Covey draws a stark contrast between the antiquated command and control style and the trust and inspire approach, which he passionately advocates for as being crucial in today's world, especially when dealing with knowledge workers.

Throughout our conversation, Covey shares personal anecdotes and real-world examples that bring his concepts to life. Such examples are the leadership styles of Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella and the leadership approach of Zoom CEO Eric Yuan which epitomizes the principles we discuss.

He then breaks down the three stewardships of a trust and inspire leader—modeling, trusting, and inspiring. Each of these plays a vital role in not just leading but empowering others to reach their full potential. Covey doesn't just leave us with theory; he offers practical advice on how to build agreements that lay the foundation for a collaborative and empowered workplace.

Join us as we explore these insightful themes and let's uncover how trust and inspiration can reshape the landscape of leadership

In this episode, you will learn the following:

• Leadership and its impact on individuals
• Shifting from command and control to trust and inspire leadership
• The principles of trust and inspire contrasted with command and control
• The importance of self-awareness and a shift towards trust and inspire leadership
• The barriers to becoming a trust and inspire leader
• The three stewardships of a trust and inspire leader: modeling, trusting, and inspiring

In This Episode:

• [10:20] Tapping into untapped potential
• [18:08] Command and control vs. trust and inspire
• [20:37] Trust and inspire
• [25:02] Barriers to becoming a trust and inspire leader
• [35:23] Inspiring confidence in others
• [38:35] Trust as human motivation
• [40:17] Microsoft's Satya Nadella as a trust and inspire leader
• [41:32] Modeling behavior
• [43:54] Inspiring leadership
• [45:24] The power of trust
• [52:01] Building trust through Co-Creation
• [54:00] The leadership style of Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom
• [55:02] The power of modeling in leadership
• [59:46] Stephen M.R. Covey's motivation for trust and leadership

Notable Quotes

•  [21:07] "We light the fire within; that fire once lit can burn on for months, if not years, without the need for constant external stimuli." - Stephen M. R. Covey
• [22:10] "To operate with a command and control style is like trying to play tennis with a golf club; it's not relevant to the game being played."- Stephen M. R. Covey
• [36:25] “Leadership is communicating people's worth and potential so clearly. That they come to see it in themselves.” Billy Samoa]
• [47:22] "When you trust people, they grow, they develop, and they become their best selves because they develop new capabilities." - Stephen M. R. Covey
• [51:43] “I believe in our world today, not trusting is more often the greater risk.” Stephen M. R. Covey

Resources and Links

Stephen M. R. Covey

• https://trustandinspire.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-m-r-covey-6400191a5/
• https://x.com/StephenMRCovey
• https://www.instagram.com/stephenmrcovey/?hl=en

Billy Samoa

• https://www.instagram.com/billysamoa/
• https://www.youtube.com/@BillySamoa
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/billysamoa/

Mentioned Books

• Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others
• The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything

This is an encore episode and was originally published on April 26, 2024

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