The Trustworthy Leader: Leveraging the Power of Trust to Transform Your Organization

Praise for The Trustworthy Leader

"Filled with well–told stories and personal portraits, The Trustworthy Leader shows what it takes for leaders to build trust at every level and how powerful an organization can become when trust is the tie that binds. You can′t be special and compelling in the marketplace unless you create something special and compelling in the workplace. This must–read book shows you how to do just that."
—William C. Taylor, cofounder, Fast Company; author, Practically Radical

"Trust allows organizations to adapt and thrive in our rapidlychanging world; yet many leaders who think they are worthy of trust end up not being trusted by their employees. In this well–researched book, Lyman articulates the leader′s path to becoming both trustworthy and trusted. Anyone who aspires to lead in the 21st century needs to read this book."
—Jack Lowe, former CEO and current board chair, TDIndustries

"An engaging, inspiring, and thought–provoking picture of what it means to be a trustworthy leader. Lyman moves between the narratives of a diverse set of leaders and her insightful reflections on what makes them tick. A compelling primer for the leader in all of us."
—Mary C. Gentile, author, Giving Voice to Values

Trust is an increasingly scarcecommodity in the business world, and now more than ever, leaders who develop high–trust relationships within their organizations outshine the competition. Companies whose employees praise the high levels of trust in their workplace are, in fact, among the highest performers, beating the average annualized returns of the S&P 500 by a factor of three. How does a leader′s trustworthiness propel an organization to excellence?

1 The Trustworthy Leader 1

2 The Honor of Leadership 17

3 Inclusion 41

4 Valuing Followership 65

5 Sharing Information 91

6 Developing Others 113

7 Uncertainty and Opportunity 139

8 How It All Comes Together 169

Notes 197

Acknowledgments 199

About the Author 201

Index 203

Amy Lyman is cofounder of Great Place to Work Institute. She conducts research on Best Companies, linking the quality of workplace conduct with financial and non–financial benefits. She is a popular speaker and the author of many articles.