What are the secrets of all great leaders—the individuals who effortlessly persuade and gain the confidence of others? This book offers actionable, practical advice, explaining ten pivotal ways for leaders to foster and engender trust.
Trust in the leaders of organizations—whether large or small, for-profit or non-profit, government or private—is of critical importance. Highlighting the centrality of trust to leadership, Inspiring Trust: Strategies for Effective Leadership presents ten proven methods that will enable readers to quickly gain the trust of those they lead. Written by a management consultant who has studied a wide variety of organizations, the book presents the author’s findings from observing and working with some of America’s best enterprises. The author explains how effective leadership involves enrolling and enfranchising others, which only occurs as a result of trusting the leader’s competence and character; and offers specific practical advice on what to do to enhance trust—as well as what not to do.
The chapters outline in detail specific techniques that have proved effective for getting others “on board” with a leader’s vision, mission, goals, strategies, and tactics. The text also explains the five key drivers of high performance and the five core dimensions of interpersonal effectiveness. Aimed at aspiring managers of any age, this book explains how to move potential followers from superficial compliance to genuine alignment, resulting in internalization of the executive, manager, or supervisor’s vision, mission, and goals.
Features
- Identifies exactly what good leaders do in order to persuade and gain the confidence of their followers
- Explains why effective leadership requires much more than brains and drive alone
- Covers which decision-making mode to use under what circumstances as well as when to rely on analysis and when to rely on intuition
- Supplies leadership advice for specific situations, such as how to ask for feedback that provides actionable information rather than flattery or reassurance, and ways to persuade others to make sacrifices they might not otherwise make
- Provides ten illuminating profiles of the characteristics of good and bad leaders
Clinton W. McLemore, PhD, is president of Relational Dynamics, Inc., a management consulting firm. Among his six previously published books is Street-Smart Ethics: Succeeding in Business without Selling Your Soul. Before beginning his three-decade career as an organizational psychologist, McLemore taught full-time for fifteen years—six in a liberal arts college and nine in a doctoral program. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Southern California.
Reviews
"A remarkable book. Whether a seasoned leader or just starting on the leadership journey, Inspiring Trust provides the insights and fundamentals you’ll need to be successful."—Richard B. Myers, General, USAF, Ret., 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
"I have found Dr. McLemore’s five-factor framework to be the best tool available to help me assess, coach, and communicate the need for leaders to inspire trust."—Debra L. Reed, Chairman and CEO Sempra Energy; Member Halliburton Board of Directors
"Inspiring Trust combines common sense, academic research, and real-life experience. The result is a persuasive and helpful prescription that leaders and aspiring leaders will find indispensable. Prepare to refer to it frequently."—Michael D. Rich, President and CEO, RAND Corporation
"Reads like a coach’s playbook . . . full of valuable insights and real-life anecdotes . . . a must-read for anyone who manages people." —Avi Steinlauf, CEO, Edmunds.com
"Clinton McLemore offers practical insights on how trust—and with it leadership—is earned everyday in our workplaces and in our relationships. As he recommends, “mark it up and make it yours.”—Charles P. Ries, Former U.S. Ambassador to Greece; currently Vice President, International, The RAND Corporation
"Inspiring Trust does a first-rate job of providing practical insights on effective leadership through a focus on trust: what it is, how some people develop it, how to spot it in yourself and in others."—William G. Ouchi, PhD, Sanford and Betty Sigoloff Distinguished Chair in Corporate Renewal, UCLA Anderson School of Management, author of the New York Times bestseller, Theory Z: How American Management Can Meet the Japanese Challenge
"The strategies outlined by Dr. McLemore will challenge leaders at every level to move beyond natural ability and intellect, toward trustworthy, effective leadership."—Jeff S. Barney, Vice President & General Manager, Toshiba America
"Inspiring Trust deftly gives organizations a fresh approach to dynamic leadership in an increasingly competitive marketplace."—Warren I. Mitchell, Chairman of the Board, Clean Energy
"A profoundly meaningful work on the art, science, and practice of leadership. It’s succinct but comprehensive, and intelligent yet eminently accessible . . . useful to both aspiring leaders and organizations seeking to identify and develop leaders."—G. Joyce Rowland, SVP, Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion, Sempra Energy
"Dr. McLemore’s wonderful book gives us a blueprint on exactly how to build organizations of the highest trust, greatest impact and most meaningful outcomes."—R. J. Kelly, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Wealth Legacy Family of Companies
"Trust is a journey and not a destination. This is a great roadmap!"—Dennis V. Arriola, CEO, Southern California Gas Company
"Inspiring Trust is easy to read, and full of real-world examples and how-to-do-it tips . . . provides great insight into how to develop and maintain trust in people below, above, and beside you."—Brigadier General (CA) Emory J. Hagan, III, Director, Safety and Enforcement Division, California Public Utilities Commission
"Bravo to Clinton McLemore! Whether you’re a young aspiring manager or a veteran of the business world, this book offers practical strategies to improve your effectiveness as a leader."—Jeffrey W. Martin, CEO of San Diego Gas & Electric
"A gold mine. Filled with real-life examples, Inspiring Trust helps you turn strategy into practice, and reflects the wisdom gained from decades of helping leaders succeed. Owning this book is like having an executive coach with you at all times."—Michael H. Misumi, Chief Information Officer (CIO), Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
"Dr. McLemore’s keen intellect, intuitive thinking, and decades of experience combine to make him the best person I know to write about trust and leadership. I would especially recommend this book to young professionals."—Willis B. Wood, Jr., Former CEO of Pacific Enterprises; Past Chairman of the Automobile Association of America (AAA); Member, Board of Trustees, University of Southern California
"This book will prove invaluable to leaders and prospective leaders in fields ranging from business, academia, government and the non-profit sector."—Malcolm Gillis, University Professor, Rice University
"It’s rare to find a book that so effectively captures and breaks down the components of leadership. Dr. McLemore analyzes situational dynamics with stories that can add value to anyone’s career."—Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, Co-owner of Berkhemer Clayton Retained Executive Search, author of The Board Game: How Smart Women Become Corporate Directors
"A timely and significant topic for leaders. I like the two axes of trust: competence and character."—J. Kenneth Thompson, Owner and CEO, Pacific Star Energy, LLC; Member of the Board of Directions of Alaska Air Group, Pioneer Natural Resources, Coeur Mining, Inc., and Tetra Tech, Inc.; Former Executive Vice President of ARCO
"Having navigated my way up the corporate latter for decades, the trip would have been a lot easier if I had read this book early on. Use it as an ongoing resource."—Carl Anderson, President of the Board of Directors, Kaweah Delta Health Care District
