THE 13 BEHAVIORS
of HIGH TRUST LEADERS
Behavior
1. Talk Straight
Be honest. Tell the truth &
leave the right impression.
Let people know where you
stand. Use simple language.
Call things what they are.
Demonstrate integrity. Dont
manipulate people or distort
facts. Dont spin the truth.
Dont leave false
impressions
2. Demonstrate Respect
Genuinely care for others.
Show you care. Respect the
dignity of every person and
every role. Treat everyone
with respect, especially
those who cant do anything
for you.
3. Create Transparency
Tell the truth in a way
people can verify. Get real
and be genuine. Be open
and authentic. Err on the
side of disclosure. Dont
have hidden agendas. Dont
hide information.
4. Right Wrongs
Make things right when
youre wrong. Apologize
quickly. Make restitution
where possible. Practice
service recoveries.
Demonstrate personal
humility. Dont cover things
up. Dont let pride get in the
way of doing the right thing.
5. Show Loyalty
Give credit freely.
Acknowledge the
contributions of others.
Speak about people as if
they were present. Represent
others who arent there to
speak for themselves. Dont
bad mouth others behind
their backs. Dont disclose
others private information
Character Behaviors
Principles Opposite Counterfeit
Based on the principles To lie or to deceive Beating around the bush,
of: withholding information, double
talk (speaking with a forked
integrity, honesty, and tongue), flattery, positioning,
straightforwardness posturing, and the granddaddy of
them all: spinning
communication in order to
manipulate the thoughts, feelings,
or actions of others.
Based on the principles Not respect other Fake respect or concern, or, most
of: people insidious of all, to show respect and
concern for some (those who can
respect, fairness, do something for you), but not for
kindness, love and all (those who cant).
civility
Hide, cover, obscure,
Based on the principles or make dark. It Illusion. Its pretending, seeming
of: includes hoarding, rather than being, Making things
withholding, having appear different than they really
honesty, openness, secrets, and failing to are.
integrity, and disclose. It includes
authenticity hidden agendas,
hidden meanings,
hidden objectives.
Based on the principles Deny or justify
of: wrongs, to rationalize Cover up. Its trying to hide a
wrongful behavior, or mistake, as opposed to repairing it.
humility, integrity, and to fail to admit
restitution mistakes until youre
forced to do so. It
involves ego and
pride. Its being
humbled by
circumstance instead
of by conscience.
Based on the principles Take the credit To be two-faced: to appear to give
of: yourself credit to someone when theyre
with you, but then downplay their
integrity, loyalty, contribution and take all the credit
gratitude, and yourself when theyre not there.
recognition
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Behavior
6. Deliver Results
Establish a track record of
results. Get the right things
done. Make things happen.
Accomplish what youre
hired to do. Be on time and
within budget. Dont over
promise and under deliver.
Dont make excuses for not
delivering
7. Get Better
Continuously improve.
Increase your capabilities.
Be a constant learner.
Develop feedback systems
both formal and informal.
Act on the feedback you
receive. Thank people for
feedback. Dont consider
yourself above feedback.
Dont assume todays
knowledge and skills will be
sufficient for tomorrows
challenges.
8. Confront Reality
Address the tough stuff
directly. Acknowledge the
unsaid. Lead out
courageously in
conversation. Remove the
sword from their hands.
Dont skirt the real issues.
9. Clarify Expectations
Disclose and reveal
expectations. Discuss them.
Validate them. Renegotiate
them if needed and possible.
Dont violate expectations.
Dont assume that
expectations are clear or
shared.
10. Practice Accountability
Hold yourself and others
accountable. Take
responsibility for results. Be
clear on how youll
communicate how youre
doingand how others are
doing. Dont avoid or shirk
responsibility. Dont blame
others or point fingers when
things go wrong.
Competence Behaviors
Principles Opposite Counterfeit
Based on the principles Performing poorly or
Delivering activities instead of
of: failing to deliver
results.
responsibility,
accountability, and
performance
First is represented by the eternal
Based on the principles Entropy, studentthe person who is always
of: deterioration, resting learning but never producing. The
on your laurels, or second is represented by author
becoming irrelevant. Frank Herberts observation: The
continuous people I distrust most are those who
improvement, learning, want to improve our lives but have
and change only one course of action. Its
trying to force fit everything into
whatever youre good at doing. Its
the manifestation of psychologist
Abraham Maslows thought: He
that is good with a hammer tends to
think everything is a nail.
Based on the principles Ignore it, to act as To give it lip serviceto act as
of: though it doesnt though youre confronting reality,
exist when youre really not. Its busy
courage, responsibility, work without real work.
awareness and respect
Create smoke and mirrorsto
Based on the principles Leave expectations give lip service to clarifying
of: undefinedto expectations, but fail to pin down
assume theyre the specifics (results, deadlines, or
clarity, responsibility, already known, or to dollars and cents) that facilitate
and accountability fail to disclose them meaningful accountability. Or its
so there is no shared going with the ebb and flow of
vision of the desired situational expectations that change
outcomes. based on peoples memories or
interpretations, or what is expedient
or convenient at the time.
Based on the principles Not take Point fingers and blame othersto
of: responsibility, to not say, Its their fault.
own up, but rather to
accountability, say, Its not my
responsibility, fault.
stewardship, and
ownership
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Behavior
11. Listen First
Listen before you speak.
Understand. Diagnose.
Listen with your earsand
your eyes and heart. Find out
what the most important
behaviors are to the people
youre working with. Dont
assume you know what
matters most to others.
Dont presume you have all
the answersor all the
questions.
12. Keep Commitments
Say what youre going to do.
Then do what you say
youre going to do. Make
commitments carefully and
keep them. Make keeping
commitments the symbol of
your honor. Dont break
confidences. Dont attempt
to PR your way out of a
broken commitment.
13. Extend Trust
Demonstrate a propensity to
trust. Extend trust
abundantly to those who
have earned your trust.
Extend conditionally to
those who are earning your
trust. Learn how to
appropriately extend trust to
others based on the situation,
risk, and credibility
(character and competence)
of the people involved. But
have a propensity to trust.
Dont withhold trust when
there is risk involved.
Covey, S.M.R., (2006). : The speed of trust. New York: Free Press.
Character & Competence Behaviors
Principles Opposite Counterfeit
Based on the principles Speak first and listen Pretend listening. Its spending
of: lastor not to listen listening time thinking about
at all. Its focusing on your reply and just waiting for your
understanding, respect getting out your turn to speak. Or its listening
and mutual benefit agenda without without understanding
considering whether
others may have
information, ideas, or
perspectives that
could influence what
you have to say
Based on the principles To break Make commitments that are so
of: commitments or vague or elusive so that nobody can
violate promisesis, pin you down, or, even worse, to be
without question, the so afraid of breaking commitments
integrity, performance, quickest way to that you dont even make any in the
courage, and humility destroy trust. first place
Based on the principles Withhold trust Extending false trust. Its giving
of: people the responsibility, but not
the authority or resources, to get a
task done. The second is extending
Empowerment, fake trust acting like you trust
reciprocity, and a someone when you really dont. In
fundamental belief that other words, you entrust someone
most people are capable with a job, but at the end of the day,
of being trusted, want to you snoopervise, hover over or
be trusted and will big brother the person, or perhaps
flourish when trust is even do his job for him.
extended to them.