The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything (Part 1) with Stephen M. R. Covey

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 Discuss00:00 - Introduction00:43 - Revisiting The Speed of Trust with Stephen M. R. Covey08:18 - Why Trust Became Stephen M. R. Covey’s Life Work10:47 - The Big Shift: Trust Is Financial, Not Just Social12:36 - The Second Shift: Trust Is a Learnable Skill21:16 - What Sports Teams Reveal About High and Low Trust22:37 - The Backup Quarterback Test for Trust23:48 - Why Talent Alone Is Never Enough25:28 - The Power of Talent and Trust TogetherNotable 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. CoveyResourcesParadigm Shifting BooksPodcastInstagram YouTube BookThe Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. CoveyStephen M. R. CoveyLinkedInBritain CoveyLinkedIn InstagramStephen H. CoveyLinkedIn