• The congregational leader developing trust within does not, and should not, arbitrarily separate that from the building and practicing trust in the church place.
• In the congregation, just as much as in other organizations, trust should be the penetrating environment for leaders and members alike.
• Trust is a relationship, a process, a system, an environment that needs the intentional and knowledgeable care of leaders within the congregation.
• Kouzes and Posner, focusing on “credibility,” have in fact built a research case for leadership trust, the way to gain it, the cost of losing it, and the persistent demand of people for leaders to deliver. Can we give less focus on this in ministry leadership?
• Zand serves our understanding of “trust” by treating it in the same context as he does “power”; the use of power has become a large issue for those serving in ministry positions.
• Covey demonstrates how trust penetrates every element of leadership: the person, relationships, the tasks being done and the nature of the organization.
• Ask your own questions, make your observations, and apply these to the practice of trust. I have drawn from these and other resources in developing specific guidelines for trust-building.

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• Thesis: “Leadership is a relationship.” Leadership is a reciprocal relationship between those who choose to lead and those who decide to follow. (p. 1)

• Discovering your self. Who are you? What do you believe in: What do you stand for?
• Appreciating constituents. You must also develop a deep understanding of the collective values and desires of your constituents.
• Affirming shared values. Credible leaders honor the diversity of their many constituencies. They also find a common ground for agreement on which everyone can stand.
• Developing capacity. It is essential for leaders to develop continuously the capacity of their members to keep their commitments.
• Serving a purpose. They are servant leaders--not self-serving, but other-serving. Credible leaders are the first to do what has been agreed to and learned.
• Sustaining hope. Credible leaders keep hope alive. People need more energy and enthusiasm, more inspiration and optimism; they have higher aspirations; are also available as a support and as a friend; are compassionate; recognize and reward people; to sustain hope, be there for the team in times of need.

Reflection: Make your own application of these findings to specific areas of your ministry. “What people want in a leader is someone who is trustworthy, is competent, has a vision for the future, and is dynamic and inspiring.” But they are increasingly cynical because their leaders do not live up to these expectations. (p. 47)

“The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him, and the surest way to make him untrustworthy is to distrust him and show your distrust.”--Henry Stimson.

Dale Zand, introducing his leadership triad of knowledge, trust, and power, acknowledges that each of the three has its place in the practice of leadership. Beginning his presentation of trust with the above quotation, Zand provides theoretical and practical treatment of three trust topics in three chapters:

• The trust process, unfortunately, can operate destructively when two people mistrust each other.

• The effects of trust: Trust frees people to be open, lifting relationships to new heights of achievements; however, mistrust shrivels people.

  • Mistrust creates social uncertainty and complicates decision making.
  • Trust reduces social uncertainty and contributes to creativity, goals, and intentions.
    
• Awareness of trust: Based on extended research, The Conrad Study shows that high-trust groups are more likely than low-trust groups to communicate relevant ideas and feelings, and to have greater motivation to implement decisions.

• Mistrust drives out trust; does not reciprocate acts of trust from others.
• Trust increases cohesion: holds people together; means that people have confidence that they can rely on each other.
• Mistrusting groups self-destruct: as a corollary, when members mistrust each other, they repel and separate, turn against each other, pursue their own interests.
• Trust stimulates productivity; it gives people confidence that they can depend on each other to define and achieve appropriate goals; also encourages people to think of productivity with satisfaction and joy.
• Mistrust depresses productivity: people who mistrust do not believe they can depend on each other; they conceal and secretly pursue their own interests; obstruct creativity; distort information, interpretations, and decision making.
• Rapid growth masks mistrust: as sales and profits increase, leaders seek expedient solutions, misshape relationships, and encourage short-term thinking.
• Increasing trust: effective leaders deal with a paradox--minimal trust in order to improve trustability.
• Through integrated reward systems.
• Through reciprocal increases in trust.
• Through relationship analysis; reviewing how they can increase trust.

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C. Study Resource Abstract: Prepared (June 2007) by Lloyd Elder, Th.D
“Trust According to Stephen R. Covey”
from Principle-Centered Leadership
by Stephen R. Covey (New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc./Fireside Edition, 1992)

“Trust” has a unique and central role inside Stephen Covey's Principle-Centered Leadership. Although “trust” is not in the book title, it permeates the thesis and all four levels or principles for life and leadership.

This abstract intends primarily to show how trust is integral to so many of his leadership and life concepts. A working thesis affirms: “Trust--or the lack of it--is at the root of success or failure in relationship and in the bottom-line results of business, industry, education, and government.” (p. 31)

1. Covey's Principle Thesis
   Principle-centered leadership is a new paradigm, a shift in focusing not just on another map, but on a new moral compass. With universal principles at the center, “leaders can expect to transform their organizations and their people by communicating vision, clarifying purposes, making behavior congruent with belief, and aligning procedures with principles, roles, and goals.” Covey endorses the idea, “I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.” (p. 69) Even his book cover conveys this in the saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
   
2. Trust: Principles and Behavior
   Principles are proven, enduring guidelines for effective human conduct. There are universal “true north” principles taught by the six major religions as well as found in a global consensus: “walk your talk”; “you reap what you sow”; “actions are more important than words.” Under the topic of moral compassing, Covey reports a universal belief in fairness, kindness, dignity, charity, integrity, honesty, quality service, and patience. (pp. 94-95)

[For those of us within the Christian faith, relationship to Christ and the guidance of Holy Scripture form a foundation for principled living and leadership.--Lloyd Elder]

In addition to his four levels/principles, Covey also deals extensively with attitudes, skills, and strategies for creating and maintaining trustful relationships with other people. (pp. 29-30)

3. Four Levels, Four Principles (pp. 28-30)
   Covey presents his principle philosophy in a graphic of four concentric circles, starting at the very center:

Personal--trustworthiness

Interpersonal--trust

Managerial--empowerment

Organizational--alignment

• Level Three: Empowerment at the Management Level
  In your responsibility to get the job done with others, trust is expressing and expecting character and competence in relating and working. If you have no, or low trust, how are you going to manage people? With trust, you have mutual participation. Without it, you have to control people. (p. 155)
  
• Level Four: Alignment at the Organizational Level
  This principle relates your need to organize people, to recruit, train, and compensate them; to build teams and solve problems; and to create aligned structures, strategies, and systems. (p. 31) What does a high trust organization look like? Flat, flexible. Extremely large span of control. Self-supervision in doing their jobs. High commitment and empowered people in the workplace.