Stephen M.R. Covey

The two most critical jobs-to-be-done for organizations today are to win in the workplace and to win in the marketplace. As we consider the people we lead, the natural question that follows is, how big is the gap between performance and potential?

The vast majority of the workforce today possess far more talent, creativity, ingenuity, intelligence, and ability than their present jobs require, or even allow them to contribute. The fact is, most organizations are over-managed and under-led.

The traditional Command & Control style of leadership that is prevalent, to some degree, in 92% of organizations today, is incapable of inspiring the level of commitment, innovation, collaboration, belonging, loyalty and performance needed to deliver on the two critical jobs-to-be-done in today’s ever-changing, disruptive world. The antidote to Command & Control, simply put, is Trust & Inspire. A Trust & Inspire leader models authentic, inclusive behavior with humility and courage. They’re not only trustworthy, they’re trusting, and their people deliver on that trust. They inspire others to willingly give their hearts and minds, not just to work, but to contribute meaningfully to something that matters. People don’t just want to be motivated, they want to be inspired. Contrary to what most people believe, inspiring others is a learnable skill.