In Part 1 of this 2-part episode of Paradigm Shifting Books, hosts Stephen and Britain Covey sit down with their father, Stephen M. R. Covey, to revisit The Speed of Trust nearly 20 years after it was written. Together, they explore the ideas behind the book, what Stephen M. R. Covey has learned after two decades of teaching trust around the world, and why trust remains one of the most important forces in leadership, business, teams, and relationships.

Stephen M. R. Covey shares how the book grew out of his experience during the merger between Covey Leadership Center and FranklinCovey. Even though both companies had good people and strong values, years of competition created low trust inside the newly combined organization. Decisions slowed down, costs increased, people questioned motives, and the team became more internally focused than customer focused. That experience helped him see that trust is not just a social virtue, but a measurable economic force.

The conversation unpacks two major paradigm shifts at the heart of The Speed of Trust: trust is financial, not just social, and trust is learnable. Stephen M. R. Covey explains how leaders and teams can intentionally build trust through credibility, behavior, language, frameworks, and practical action. Stephen and Britain also connect these ideas to sports, football, the Los Angeles Rams, and high-performing teams, showing why trust changes everything and why it can be built on purpose.

What We Discuss

00:00 - Introduction
00:43 - Revisiting The Speed of Trust with Stephen M. R. Covey
08:18 - Why Trust Became Stephen M. R. Covey’s Life Work
10:47 - The Big Shift: Trust Is Financial, Not Just Social
12:36 - The Second Shift: Trust Is a Learnable Skill
21:16 - What Sports Teams Reveal About High and Low Trust
22:37 - The Backup Quarterback Test for Trust
23:48 - Why Talent Alone Is Never Enough
25:28 - The Power of Talent and Trust Together

Notable Quotes

[11:55] "Trust is financial, not just social. There's a business case for trust, and it's a compelling case." — Stephen M. R. Covey
[12:55] “Trust is learnable. It’s a learnable skill. It’s a learnable competency.” – Stephen M.R. Covey
[18:39] "Trust is the one thing that changes everything." — Stephen M. R. Covey

Resources

Paradigm Shifting Books

Book

The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey

Stephen M. R. Covey

Britain Covey

Stephen H. Covey