Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others

Fear is the second major barrier preventing leaders from transitioning from Command & Control to Trust & Inspire leadership styles. Covey identifies five common fear-based scenarios that limit leaders, each beginning with, “But what if?” These fears stem from deep-seated concerns about losing control, facing failure, experiencing betrayal, losing recognition, and feeling inadequate.

The chapter’s central argument revolves around reframing fear as an opportunity for growth rather than a limitation. Covey presents the counterintuitive premise that extending “smart trust”—carefully assessed trust based on situation, risk, and credibility—provides leaders with more control than rigid rule-based systems. This concept challenges traditional management thinking that emerged from industrial-era hierarchies, where control was viewed as synonymous with micromanagement and compliance-driven oversight.

Covey’s examples from companies like Nordstrom, Netflix, and Procter & Gamble demonstrate how organizations can maintain accountability while empowering employees through simplified guidelines rather than extensive rule books. At Nordstrom, the employee handbook contains only one rule: “Use good judgment in all situations” (277). This example illustrates how trust-based cultures can achieve superior customer service outcomes compared to command-driven competitors.

The chapter’s treatment of betrayal and recovery addresses a particularly vulnerable aspect of leadership psychology. Through the story of Clint, a military veteran who was wounded by Afghan allies he had trusted, Covey acknowledges that some betrayals are genuinely traumatic while maintaining that isolated breaches of trust should not determine one’s entire leadership philosophy.

Covey’s discussion of abundance mentality versus scarcity mindset draws heavily from his father’s work in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, positioning sharing credit with others as a strategic advantage rather than a vulnerability. The argument that “others’ success does not diminish one’s own” challenges zero-sum thinking prevalent in competitive business environments (237). The chapter concludes by addressing imposter syndrome—affecting an estimated 70% of people—and proposes that building personal credibility through behavioral virtues creates authentic confidence rather than manufactured bravado.

Chapter Lessons

• Smart trust provides greater control than rigid rules.
• Individual betrayals should not dictate universal policies: Leaders must distinguish between isolated breaches of trust and systemic patterns.
• Recognizing that credit, success, and recognition are not finite resources allows leaders to celebrate others’ achievements without feeling diminished, creating stronger team loyalty and performance.
• Building personal credibility combats imposter syndrome. Focusing on developing character and competence through behavioral virtues (humility/courage, authenticity/vulnerability, empathy/performance) creates genuine confidence rather than manufactured authority.

Reflection Questions

• When facing a leadership decision that involves risk, do you find yourself primarily focused on what might go wrong or what might go right? How might shifting toward “maximizing possibilities” rather than just “minimizing risk” change your approach to developing your team members?
• Have you experienced a betrayal or disappointment that continues to influence how much trust you extend to others? What specific steps could you take to assess each person and situation individually rather than allowing past negative experiences to create blanket policies?

This chapter addresses a fundamental barrier to Trust & Inspire leadership: the inability to relinquish control. Covey argues that many leaders struggle with delegation and empowerment because they believe they can execute tasks more effectively than others.

The chapter presents supporting evidence through several real-world examples. One business example involves a grocery chain that rigidly enforced a “no receipt, no refund” policy, even when a customer returned cracked eggs bearing the store’s own logo. This inflexible adherence to rules over customer service prompted senior leadership to recognize that their policies reflected industrial-age thinking rather than modern trust-based practices. Their subsequent policy overhaul contributed to nine consecutive years of sales growth.

Covey’s approach builds on established management theories while addressing contemporary workplace challenges. The chapter’s emphasis on failure as “growth” rather than failure as “bad” aligns with current research on psychological safety and learning organizations (organizations that encourage continuous learning), popularized by scholars like economist Amy Edmondson and systems scientist Peter Senge.

The examples demonstrate that letting go does not mean abandoning structure or accountability. Instead, Trust & Inspire leaders maintain clear expectations and guidelines while allowing others the autonomy to experiment and potentially fail. This approach recognizes that people possess untapped potential that can only emerge through experience and experimentation.

Chapter Lessons

• Control-based leadership stifles creativity and damages morale. When leaders micromanage or redo others’ work, they communicate distrust and discourage future engagement and innovation.
• Failure serves as a pathway to growth and learning. Trust & Inspire leaders maintain a high tolerance for failure while focusing on learning opportunities and course correction rather than perfection.
• Effective delegation requires clear expectations without rigid methods. Leaders can maintain accountability through stewardship agreements and guidelines while allowing others freedom in execution and approach.
• Outdated policies often reflect industrial-age thinking. Organizations should regularly evaluate whether existing policies would be created today, eliminating those that prioritize rule-following over judgment and customer service.

Reflection Questions

• Can you identify situations in your work or personal life where your desire for control has prevented others from developing their skills or expressing their creativity? What fears or assumptions drive this need for control?
• Think about a time when someone gave you autonomy to approach a task in your own way versus when you were micromanaged. How did these different experiences affect your motivation, creativity, and sense of ownership in the outcome?

Covey identifies the fourth barrier to Trust & Inspire leadership: the belief that one is the smartest person in the room. This barrier manifests when leaders claim to seek collaborative input while ultimately implementing only their predetermined decisions. Through the example of a business unit president who proclaimed “the best idea wins” but consistently chose his own ideas (246), Covey illustrates how leaders often project openness while actually practicing control. This disconnect between stated intent and actual behavior creates cynicism, wastes organizational talent, and ultimately produces mediocre results.

The chapter’s core argument centers on the concept of being a “multiplier” rather than a “diminisher,” drawing from executive advisor Liz Wiseman’s work on leadership effectiveness. Multipliers enhance others’ capabilities and generate collective intelligence, while diminishers stifle contributions and make teams collectively less capable. Covey contends that truly intelligent leaders recognize their need for diverse perspectives and actively work to unlock the potential of those around them. The analysis reveals a fundamental paradox: Those who genuinely possess superior intelligence rarely view themselves as the smartest in the room because they understand the value of collective wisdom. Covey’s approach builds on decades of research showing that diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones, particularly in complex problem-solving scenarios.

The chapter offers a practical three-step solution: Embrace humility, listen with intent to understand while demonstrating respect, and adopt a growth mindset for others rather than just oneself. Maintaining a fixed mindset about others’ capabilities is a common trap for accomplished leaders, Covery argues, but the analysis suggests that sustainable organizational innovation requires leaders who can nurture potential in others, recognizing that collective intelligence surpasses individual brilliance in addressing complex challenges.

Chapter Lessons

• Leaders who claim to want collaboration while practicing control create cynicism and waste organizational talent. Clarity about decision-making authority builds more trust than false participation.
• Effective leaders enhance others’ capabilities rather than diminish them, recognizing that diverse perspectives and experiences often generate superior solutions.
• While many accomplished leaders invest heavily in their own growth, they often maintain fixed assessments of others’ capabilities, limiting their team’s potential and innovation.
• Listening with intent to understand demonstrates respect, generates better ideas, and signals that team members matter.

Reflection Questions

• When seeking input from others, can you identify instances where you had already decided on the outcome? How might your behavior in those situations have affected others’ willingness to contribute authentically in future discussions?
• Consider a recent interaction where someone shared an idea that differed from your perspective—did you listen with the intent to understand their viewpoint, or were you primarily focused on formulating your response? What might change if you approached such conversations differently?