Stephen M.R. Covey: How High-Trust Leaders Get Better Results in Life and Work

Dec 25, 2025

48:44

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In this episode of the Franklin Planner Podcast, host George Wright III welcomes esteemed guest Stephen M.R. Covey, a global authority on leadership, trust, and organizational performance. Covey discusses his legacy of timeless principles in leadership and trust, stemming from the influential teachings of his father, Dr. Stephen R. Covey. The conversation delves into the importance of trust as both a social virtue and economic driver, emphasizing the concept of 'Smart Trust' as a strategic and calculated way to build trust in teams and organizations. Covey outlines his 'Five Waves of Trust' model, which starts with self-trust and ripples out to team, organization, marketplace, and societal trust. He shares practical daily actions such as identifying high-leverage behaviors, declaring intentions, and being more trusting to help individuals build self-trust and improve their leadership. The episode is packed with actionable insights aimed at helping listeners lead their lives more effectively by prioritizing trust and integrity.

00:49 Stephen Covey's Background and Legacy

02:07 Foundational Principles of Leadership

07:08 Building Trust in Organizations

10:56 The Economics of Trust

18:46 The Ripple Effect of Trust

25:49 Building Self-Trust

26:48 The Power of Small Commitments

30:45 Common Behaviors That Break Trust

36:22 Extending Smart Trust

41:01 Daily Actions to Build Trust

Thank you for joining us on this Journey to create your best life and to lead your Life and Teams. Please share this show, and we look forward to the journey we will take together.

The Franklin Planner Team

About Guest:

Stephen M.R. Covey is a bestselling author, speaker, and leadership expert known for his work on trust, ethics, and high performance, particularly his book The SPEED of Trust, which frames trust as a crucial economic driver, not just a soft skill. He's the former CEO of Covey Leadership Center, instrumental in making his father's 7 Habits famous, and now leads FranklinCovey's Global Speed of Trust Practice, advocating for "Trust & Inspire" leadership over old "Command & Control" methods.

Guest Resources:

Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/StephenMRCovey

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephenmrcovey/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100029016867179

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-m-r-covey-6400191a5/