50 pages • 1-hour read
Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others
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Discussion Questions
General Impressions
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. What surprised you most about Covey’s critique of “Enlightened Command & Control”—the idea that even well-intentioned, emotionally intelligent management can still be fundamentally flawed?
2. After reading the entire book, do you find Covey’s central premise—that Trust & Inspire represents a genuine paradigm shift rather than just updated management techniques—convincing? Why or why not? How do his arguments compare to those laid out in other books about leadership, such as Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead?
3. Which of Covey’s real-world examples (Microsoft under Nadella, the grocery chain policy changes, Erik Weihenmayer’s Everest expedition) resonated most strongly with your own leadership experiences or observations, and why?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to reflect on how the book relates to their own life or work and how its lessons could help them.
1. Reflecting on your upbringing and formative experiences, what specific “scripts” from Command & Control environments (family, school, early jobs, etc.) do you recognize still influencing your current leadership style?
2. Consider a relationship where you currently hold influence—whether as a manager, parent, mentor, or team member. How might the other person describe your leadership style: more controlling or more inspiring? What evidence supports your assessment?
3. Covey discusses the discomfort many leaders feel when “letting go” of control. What specific fears or anxieties arise when you imagine giving others more autonomy in areas where you currently maintain oversight?
4. The book emphasizes seeing others’ potential before it’s fully developed. Think of someone in your life whose capabilities you may have underestimated. How might shifting your perspective about their potential change your interactions with them?
Real-World Relevance
Prompt readers to explore how the book fits into today’s professional or social landscape.
1. Given the rise of remote work, “quiet quitting,” and changing generational expectations about workplace autonomy, how timely is Covey’s call to abandon Command & Control approaches? What current workplace trends support or challenge his thesis?
2. The book draws heavily on business examples from established corporations. How applicable do you think Trust & Inspire principles are for startup environments, crisis situations, or highly regulated industries where compliance and rapid decision-making are critical?
3. Covey positions Trust & Inspire as universally applicable across cultures and contexts. Based on your knowledge of different cultural approaches to authority and hierarchy, where might his framework face the greatest resistance or require adaptation?
Practical Applications
Encourage readers to share and consider how the book’s lessons could be applied to their personal/professional lives.
1. If you were to implement one stewardship agreement this month—either professionally or personally—what would it look like? What specific elements (desired results, guidelines, resources, accountability, consequences) would you include?
2. Covey emphasizes modeling as the foundation for influence. Identify one specific behavioral change you could make that would demonstrate Trust & Inspire principles to those around you, regardless of your formal authority or title.
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