19 Best Books on Trust

Congratulations, you’re a manager! You’ve earned this role because you’re an expert in your field. But what about everything else you need to know? Things like:

• Getting started with setting goals, managing projects and resources, and much more.
• Developing management skills you didn’t know you needed.
• Building and managing your team from hiring, firing, and everything in between.
• Creating your personal brand by building credibility for yourself and your team.
• Managing up, down, and around the organization.
• Avoiding potential land mines of conflict, change, and risk.
• Navigating the potential legal pitfalls.  

In question-and-answer format, this award-winning book provides information on many aspects of managing for the new manager and the seasoned manager faced with a new situation. Sold around the world, The Manager’s Answer Book has also been translated into simplified Chinese, because management challenges are universal.

JetBlue Chairman Joel Peterson provides the playbook for establishing and maintaining a culture of trust that breaks down the operational silos and CYA mentality that plague many organizations, in this groundbreaking expanded edition of The 10 Laws of Trust.

Trust is the glue that holds an organization together. It turns deflection into transparency, suspicion into empowerment, and conflict into creativity. With it, a tiny company like John Deere grew into a worldwide leader. Without it, a giant corporation like Enron toppled.

In The 10 Laws of Trust Expanded Edition, JetBlue chairman Joel Peterson explores how a culture of trust gives companies an edge.

How does it feel to work for a firm where leaders and colleagues trust one another? Freed from micromanagement and rivalry, every employee contributes his or her best. Risk-taking and innovation become the norm. And, as Peterson notes, “When a company has a reputation for fair dealing, its costs drop: Trust cuts the time spent second-guessing and lawyering.”

With compelling examples, Peterson details how to establish and maintain a culture of trust, including Start with integrity * Invest in respect * Empower everyone * Require accountability * Create a winning vision * Keep everyone informed * Budget in line with expectations * Embrace conflict * Forget “you” to become an effective leader * And more.

With this book in hand, you’ll be able to plant the seeds of trust—and reap the rewards of reputation, profits, and success.

This fully expanded edition includes a powerful self-assessment tool for organizations to evaluate their culture of trust and discover areas for improvement. Peterson has also added rich new case studies and chapters on the theme of betrayal, including how to manage and guard against it.

In this widely popular book, David Horsager presents the ultimate guide to earning, maintaining, and even rebuilding the most critical factor of every business relationship—trust.

In The Trust Edge, David Horsager reveals the foundation of genuine success—trust. Based on research but made practical for today’s leader, The Trust Edge shows that trust is quantifiable and brings dramatic results to businesses and leaders. In this book, Horsager teaches readers how to build the 8 Pillars of Trust:

1. Clarity: People trust the clear and mistrust the ambiguous.

2. Compassion: People put faith in those who care beyond themselves.

3. Character: People notice those who do what is right over what is easy.

4. Competency: People have confidence in those who stay fresh, relevant, and capable.

5. Commitment: People believe in those who stand through adversity.

6. Connection: People want to follow, buy from, and be around friends.

7. Contribution: People immediately respond to results.

8. Consistency: People love to see the little things done consistently.

When leaders learn how to implement these pillars, they enjoy better relationships, reputations, retention, revenue, and results. Fascinating and timely, The Trust Edge unveils how trust has the ability to accelerate or destroy any business, organization, or relationship. The lower the trust, the more time everything takes the more everything costs, and the lower the loyalty of everyone involved. Conversely, an environment of trust leads to greater innovation, morale, and productivity. The trusted leader is followed. From the trusted salesperson, people will buy. For the trusted brand, people will pay more, come back, and tell others. Trust, not money, is the currency of business and life!

As a leader, you’ve likely felt this fundamental tension–the tension between driving results and developing positive relationships with your people. Despite all the research telling us that effective leaders do both, most of us struggle to balance the happiness of our teams and the health of the bottom line. We are more comfortable focusing on one or the other, and we feel overwhelmed and drained by the challenges we face when we try to accomplish both.

In Bankable Leadership, psychologist, executive coach, and proud leadership geek Dr. Tasha Eurich (or Dr. T) solves this dilemma and reveals how to make leadership exhilarating, fun, and fulfilling. Built on decades of research and the transformation of real leaders, her fresh, practical model can help anyone become bankable–producing results while fostering a healthy work environment that ensures sustainable success. Discover how to
– Be human and drive performance,
– Be helpful and drive responsibility,
– Be thankful and drive improvement, and
– Be happy and drive productivity.

Dr. T’s approach will help you develop these universally effective behaviors through an online assessment and boots-on-the-ground tools, like earning trust through transparency, treating adults like adults, and taking a no-fear approach to feedback.

Whether you’re struggling to build a more productive team, increase confidence in your leadership skills, or consistently deliver results, Bankable Leadership is the resource you’ve been waiting for!

The conditioning begins early in our lives. Great achievements will bring lasting happiness and fulfillment; great achievements form the bedrock of stable self-esteem and strong character; great achievements will become the foundation for a successful life. If these well-intentioned promises are true, why does winning never seem to be enough?

In The Only Way to Win, Jim Loehr draws upon two decades of work with Fortune 500 executives; world-class athletes such as Monica Seles, Dan Jansen, and Eric Lindros; and other high achievers at the Human Performance Institute (HPI) to reveal surprising insights about achievement motivation. Specifically, Loehr finds that the blind pursuit of external achievement often results in emptiness, addiction, and, ironically, poor performance. It’s not really about what you achieve, he argues, it’s about who you become as a consequence of the chase.

As Loehr powerfully demonstrates, success at work and fulfillment in life require a complete re-purposing of achievement, one where value is derived from growth in areas such as integrity, honesty, gratefulness, humility, optimism, and compassion. To help readers start this process, he provides them with the tools they need to develop these character traits, as well as the plan they need to use them effectively.

A compelling, practical, and hopeful read filled with relatable stories and useful exercises, The Only Way to Win will serve as a powerful wake-up call for business leaders, employees, teachers, and coaches. It will also provide inspiration for readers looking to perform better, achieve more, and change both their own lives and those of the people they influence. Jim Loehr is a world-renowned performance psychologist, co-founder of the Human Performance Institute, and author of fifteen books, including his most recent, The Power of Story. He also co-authored the national bestseller The Power of Full Engagement.

Janine Driver was trained as a lie detection expert for the ATF, FBI, and the CIA and is a New York Times bestselling author (You Say More Than You Think). Now she makes a powerful and incontrovertible declaration: You Can’t Lie to Me.  Driver—who is known in professional circles as “the Lyin’ Tamer” and has demonstrated her world-renowned expertise on such programs as The Today Show, The Dr. Oz Show, and Nancy Grace—now offers readers essential tools that will enable them to detect deceptions, recognize a liar, and ultimately improve their lives. For readers of Never Be Lied to Again by David Lieberman and anyone worried about the possibility of cheating partners, devious co-workers, lying employees, or ubiquitous con men, You Can’t Lie to Me will help you uncover the truth in any situation while giving you the skills you need to keep yourself happy, your family safe, and your business protected.

A practical guide to being a trusted advisor for leaders in any industry.

In this hands-on successor to the popular book The Trusted Advisor, you’ll find answers to pervasive questions about trust and leadership―such as how to develop business with trust, nurture trust-based relationships, build and run a trustworthy organization, and develop your trust skill set. This pragmatic workbook delivers everyday tools, exercises, resources, and actionable to-do lists for the wide range of situations a trusted advisor inevitably encounters. The authors speak in concrete terms about how to dramatically improve your results in sales, relationship management, and organizational performance.

Your success as a leader will always be based on the degree to which you are trusted by your stakeholders. Each chapter offers specific ways to train your thinking and your habits in order to earn the trust that is necessary to be influential, successful, and known as someone who makes a difference.

• Self-administered worksheets and coaching questions provide immediate insights into your current business challenges
• Real-life examples demonstrate proven ways to “walk the talk”
• Action plans bridge the gap between insights and outcomes

Put the knowledge and practices in this field book to work, and you’ll be someone who earns trust quickly, consistently, and sustainably―in business and in life.

When Stephen M.R. Covey wrote The Speed of Trust in 2006, he had no idea the book would sell over 2 million copies in twenty-two languages and become a worldwide phenomenon. His belief in the hidden power of trust to change lives and impact organizations is now expanded in Smart Trust: Creating Prosperity, Energy, and Joy in a Low-Trust World.

Trust in the modern workplace cannot be overstated. Trusted people are more likely to be hired and promoted, get the best projects and bigger budgets, and are typically the last group to be laid off. In an increasingly unpredictable marketplace, understanding and applying the tenets of Smart Trust will increase your probability of thriving personally and professionally. Additionally, your sound judgment and ability to trust in this low-trust world will give you a tremendous competitive advantage—and the capacity to navigate the organizational uncertainty that low trust creates.

In a compelling and readable style, Covey and his long-time business partner Greg Link share enlightening principles and anecdotes of people and organizations that are not only achieving unprecedented prosperity from high-trust relationships but—even more inspiring—also attaining elevated levels of energy and joy.

In the years since authors, Chris Brogan and Julien Smith first released. their groundbreaking book Trust Agents, social media channels have become inundated by questionable, low-quality content. As a result, many businesses have suffered from damaged reputations and poorly performing social media initiatives. The power of social media is as strong as ever, yet businesses are struggling when trying to re-capture the trust and attention of their audience. This special 10^th Anniversary Edition of Trust Agents helps companies of all kinds regain their reputation and re-establish the attention and trust of the marketplace.

Celebrating a decade in print, this New York Times bestseller has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect the new business realities of social networks and the latest digital technologies. All-new content and supplemental materials show business leaders how to attract the right kind of attention, communicate directly to specific groups, and leverage human innovation and originality in this age of Artificial Intelligence and automation. From using the latest social apps and platforms to build trusted networks of influence to implementing laser-focused marketing strategies to cut through the digital clutter, critical information is supported by real-world examples and case studies, advanced theory, and practical, actionable guidance. This must-have guide:

• Provides expert advice on creating and growing brand influence
• Features specific strategies for small businesses, nonprofits, the hospitality industry, corporations, and more
• Discusses the six main tenets of trust agents and their use
• Explores online tools that foster better relationships, increased sales, and greater profits
• Explains the relationship between trust, social capital, and media

Much has changed since Driving Fear Out of the Workplace first made the undiscussable discussable back in 1991. Advances in technology, new employee/employer relations, and the corporate push to optimize intellectual capital have introduced a host of new workplace anxieties that, left unaddressed, can seriously inhibit individual performance and cripple a company’s ability to compete. This is why, in this revised edition, authors Ryan and Oestreich revisit their original, best-selling work to confront the fears that permeate today’s organizations–so that they can become the high-trust, high-performance organizations of tomorrow. This insightful book digs deeply into the root causes of fear and the pervasive ‘flu of mistrust’ that weakens motivation and commitment.
–Terrence E. Deal and M. K. Key, authors of Corporate Celebration: Play, Purpose, and Passion at Work
You’ll discover:
* How fear prevents people from doing their best
* How fear operates in organizations
How to build business relationships without fear…and much more!
This work is a timely antidote to the insecurities of workers faced with the pervasive push toward leaner, meaner organizations.

Stephen M. R. Covey shows how trust—and the speed at which it is established with clients, employees, and all stakeholders—is the single most critical component of a successful leader and organization.

Stephen M. R. Covey, widely known as one of the world’s leading authorities on trust, asserts that it is “the most overlooked, misunderstood, underutilized asset to enable performance. Its impact, for good or bad, is dramatic and pervasive. It’s something you can’t escape.” Thankfully, it’s is also the thing that can dramatically improve your personal and professional success.

Why trust? The simple often overlooked fact is this: work gets done with and through people. The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in every transaction and every relationship—from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction. It specifically demonstrates how to establish trust intentionally so that you and your organization can forego the time-killing, bureaucratic check-and-balance processes that are so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.

This 2018 updated edition includes an insightful afterword by the author which explores ten key reasons why trust is more relevant now than ever before—including how trust is the new currency of our world today.

Do you feel like your career exists somewhere between your last sale and your next one? Are you always searching for a way to bridge the gap and create long-term success? Does it seem that somehow your life is only about your ability to perform on the job?

For too long you have bought into the idea that the business you do and the life you lead are completely separate. What Todd Duncan has learned in his twenty-two years of sales is the polar opposite: When you discover how to connect who you are and what you are about in your selling career, the results will be phenomenal and long-lasting.

No matter what industry you work in or what type of sales position you hold, adopting the practical principles in High Trust Selling will open the door to a new way of thinking and a life beyond your wildest expectations.

The greatest threat to an organization’s success is not always the competition. Often, it is what a company does to itself. Because of fear, companies become plagued with barriers and bureaucracy that limit success, crush employees, and infuse frustration and a sense of futility across the enterprise. It starts with a narrowing of focus, which leads to the first level of bureaucracy: parochialism. Parochialism exists when managers and departments begin to view the world through the filter of their own little silo and build walls made of rules and policies to protect their turf. As businesses grow and become more complex, the second level of bureaucracy is reached: territorialism. While parochialism is about protecting a department from outsiders, territorialism is about controlling those inside the silo. The third and final level of bureaucracy is empire-building, which is a response to perceived threats to a department’s ability to be self-sufficient. These barriers cost organizations a fortune in inefficiency, turnover, waste, and demoralization.

Tearing down these barriers is difficult, but it can be done. Parochialism can be eliminated by resetting rules and policies and refocusing on the ultimate mission of the organization. Territorialism can be eliminated by creating true empowerment, along with appropriate levels of accountability. Empire building can be addressed through shared goals and a set of guiding principles that help act as a referee in decision making.

But that’s not enough. Managers must also create a culture of courage to enable employees to take advantage of these new freedoms and accountabilities. Courage killers must be rooted out and dealt with swiftly and strongly. Finally, leaders must refocus on mission success rather than just checking off their part of the process, manage reference points, and engage employees.

By doing all these things, an organization can become fearless and unstoppable.

The first true revision of the classic book from the bestselling author of The Leadership Challenge.

As the world falls deeper into economic downturns and warfare, the question of credibility (how leaders gain and lose it) is more important than ever. Building on their research from The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner explore in Credibility why leadership is above all a relationship, with credibility as the cornerstone, and why leaders must “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” This first full revision of the book since its initial publication in 1993 features new case studies from around the world, fully updated data and research, and a streamlined format. Written by the premier leadership experts working today, Credibility:

• Reveals the six key disciplines that strengthen a leader’s capacity for developing and sustaining credibility.
• Provides rich examples of real managers in action
• Includes updates to?the applications and research

This personal, inspiring, and genuine guide helps you understand the fundamental importance of credibility for building personal and organizational success.

Disregard the myth of the lone professional “superman” and the rest of our culture’s go-it-alone mentality. The real path to success in your work and in your life is through creating an inner circle of “lifeline relationships” – deep, close relationships with a few key trusted individuals who will offer the encouragement, feedback, and generous mutual support every one of us needs to reach our full potential. Whether your dream is to lead a company, be a top producer in your field, overcome the self-destructive habits that hold you back, lose weight or make a difference in the larger world, Who’s Got Your Back will give you the roadmap you’ve been looking for to achieve the success you deserve.

Keith Ferrazzi, the internationally renowned thought leader, consultant, and bestselling author of Never Eat Alone shows us that becoming a winner in any field of endeavor requires a trusted team of advisors who can offer guidance and help to hold us accountable for achieving our goals. It is the reason Ph.D. candidates have advisor teams, top executives have boards, world-class athletes have fitness coaches, and presidents have cabinets.

In this step-by-step guide to the powerful principles behind personal growth and change, you’ll learn how to:

· Master the mindsets that will help you to build deeper, more trusting “lifeline relationships”

· Overcome the career-crippling habits that hold you back, once and for all

· Get further, faster by setting goals in a dramatically more powerful way

· Use “sparring” as a productive tool to make the decisions that will fuel personal success

· Replace the yes men in your life with those who get it and care – and will hold you accountable to achieving your goals

· Lower your guard and let others help!

None of us can do it alone. We need the perspective and advice of a trusted team. And in Who’s Got Your Back, Keith Ferrazzi shows us how to put our own “dream team” together.

Buyers prefer to buy from people they trust. However, salespeople are often mistrusted. Trust-Based Selling shows how trust between buyer and seller is created and explains how both sides benefit from it. Heavy with practical examples and suggestions, the book reveals why trust goes hand-in-hand with profit; how trust differentiates you from other sellers; and how to create trust in negotiations, closings, and when answering the six toughest sales questions. Trust-Based Selling is a must for anyone in sales, is especially invaluable for sellers of complex, intangible services.