FranklinCovey On Leadership Stephen M. R. Covey: Building Trust, Inspiring Teams, and Leading with Impact
Jan 20, 2026
Stephen M. R. Covey, bestselling author and leadership expert, shares insights from his upbringing as the son of Stephen R. Covey. He discusses how trust transforms organizations, revealing that employees are 14x more engaged when they trust their leaders. Stephen also emphasizes the importance of moving from command-and-control to a trust-and-inspire leadership style. He introduces practical behaviors for building trust and explains why trust is the new currency of our time, vital for inspiring teams and achieving lasting results.
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From Practitioner To Thought Leader
- Stephen M. R. Covey describes choosing people development over real estate and finance early in his career.
- He became a practitioner CEO first, then shifted to thought leadership after the merger crucible taught him about trust.
Trust Your Judgment When Noise Overwhelms
- When overwhelmed by opinions, quiet yourself, review data, and trust your prepared judgment to make decisions.
- Trust your instincts informed by evidence instead of being paralyzed by conflicting advice.
Merger Saved By Intentional Trust Building
- The Franklin Quest and Covey Leadership Center merger nearly failed because the two sides entered as competitors with low trust.
- Deliberately building trust between the groups transformed culture and unlocked the merger's strategic value.
