Talk about transformational leadership! I am attending the 9th International Business and Consciousness Conference this week in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was so impressed with the message delivered by Stephen M.R. Covey discussing his book and philosophy, The Speed of Trust. I read the book when it was first published. Its message was highly evocative. I loved it then. But hearing Stephen explain the nuances really made it come alive. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat silently screaming, "Yes, this is what we are missing!" My inner fire to help people in all types of organizations was rekindled. What a life changing experience.
One of my biggest takeaways from the sessions that I attended with Stephen is that organizations and institutions today are facing a growing crisis. From the work I do within teams, and in working with individuals, I see and hear the stories of non-trust all of the time. Consider these statistics:
- Only 51% of employees have trust and confidence in senior management
- Only 36% of employees believe their leaders act with honesty and integrity
- Over the past 12 months, 76% of employees have observed illegal or unethical conduct on the job—conduct which, if exposed, would seriously violate the public trust
- The number one reason employees leave their jobs is a negative relationship with their boss
Startling, isn’t it?
This begs the question, what do we do to turn this around? The answer is simple but not easy- we need to be trustworthy in everything that we do. And , Covey advises, in all of our interactions we need to practice not a blind, gullible trust, but a smart trust.
Stephen ended his life-transforming presentation by showing the audience the positive economic impact that operating with trust has. And, here is the biggie, competency in trust behaviors can be taught and learned by everyone. There is hope that our corporate consciousness, and our society, can be turned around!
This is incredible stuff. Challenge yourself to operate in a trustworthy, truthful way today in all situations. You will be glad that you did. Being credible and trustworthy will help you lead well, live well and do well.
