In this episode of Paradigm Shifting Books, hosts Stephen and Britain Covey explore Habit 1, Be Proactive, from their grandfather Stephen R. Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Featuring archival audio clips of their grandfather teaching in the 1980s and 90s, this "Power Principle" episode reveals the difference between proactive and reactive living. Dr. Covey shares Viktor Frankl's discovery of the "last human freedom," the power to choose your response to any circumstance, and the story of a nurse who realized she had chosen her own misery and could therefore choose otherwise.

In the second clip, Dr. Covey introduces the Circle of Influence vs. Circle of Concern through the story of Ben, an employee who transformed his organization by focusing on what he could control. Stephen and Britain reflect on why taking responsibility is not daunting but deeply empowering and why this timeless wisdom is more urgent than ever.

Tune in to hear Stephen R. Covey's own voice teach these powerful principles and discover how one simple shift in focus can change everything.

What We Discuss

• [00:00] Introduction
• [00:40] What makes this episode different
• [01:58] Habit 1 explained
• [02:26] The opposite of proactive
• [03:18] Viktor Frankl and the last human freedom
• [05:20] The nurse story: from prison to liberation
• [07:26] Why taking ownership feels daunting but is ultimately empowering
• [08:56] The circle of influence and circle of concern
• [09:19] Where proactive vs. reactive people focus their energy
• [12:00] The story of Ben
• [14:24] Conclusion

Resources

Paradigm Shifting Books

• Podcast
• Instagram
• YouTube

Book

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Stephen R. Covey

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Britain Covey

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Stephen H. Covey

• LinkedIn

Mentioned Episode

• Viktor Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning

In Part 2 of this episode of Paradigm Shifting Books, hosts Stephen and Britain Covey continue their conversation with their father, Stephen M. R. Covey, bestselling author of The Speed of Trust. Picking up where Part 1 left off, this half dives deeper into what high-trust leadership looks like in practice, from boardrooms to family dinner tables, and why the companies that are already good at trust are the ones most determined to get better at it.

Stephen M. R. Covey walks through real-world examples of organizations that used trust as a performance multiplier, including Frito-Lay's Al Carey and the iconic Doritos Locos Taco partnership with Taco Bell, a billion-dollar product launched without a contract because two CEOs trusted each other completely. He unpacks the five waves of trust and makes the case that everything starts from the inside out, beginning with self-trust.

The episode also gets personal. Stephen and Britain revisit a teenage speeding ticket that became a masterclass in how trust is lost, owned, and rebuilt through behavior, not words. Stephen M. R. Covey shares his own story of having to restore trust with a colleague he had unfairly criticized as CEO, walking through what it actually looks like to behave your way back into a relationship. The episode closes with two immediately actionable takeaways for anyone who wants to increase trust this week.

What We Discuss

• [00:00] Introduction
• [01:30] Why companies that are already good at trust want to get even better
• [02:53] Case study: Frito Lay, Taco Bell, and the billion dollar Doritos Locos Taco
• [08:56] The five waves of trust
• [16:17] Making and keeping commitments to yourself to rebuild self-trust
• [18:13] Rebuilding trust once it's been lost: two paradigm shifts
• [22:50] Britain's teenage speeding ticket story
• [26:56] Stephen M. R. Covey's personal leadership failure
• [32:54] Two practical takeaways to increase trust this week
• [38:59] Closing reflections from Stephen and Britain

Resources

Paradigm Shifting Books

• Podcast
• Instagram
• YouTube

Book

• The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey

Stephen M. R. Covey

• LinkedIn

Britain Covey

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Stephen H. Covey

• LinkedIn

In Part 1 of this 2-part episode of Paradigm Shifting Books, hosts Stephen and Britain Covey sit down with their father, Stephen M. R. Covey, to revisit The Speed of Trust nearly 20 years after it was written. Together, they explore the ideas behind the book, what Stephen M. R. Covey has learned after two decades of teaching trust around the world, and why trust remains one of the most important forces in leadership, business, teams, and relationships.

Stephen M. R. Covey shares how the book grew out of his experience during the merger between Covey Leadership Center and FranklinCovey. Even though both companies had good people and strong values, years of competition created low trust inside the newly combined organization. Decisions slowed down, costs increased, people questioned motives, and the team became more internally focused than customer focused. That experience helped him see that trust is not just a social virtue, but a measurable economic force.

The conversation unpacks two major paradigm shifts at the heart of The Speed of Trust: trust is financial, not just social, and trust is learnable. Stephen M. R. Covey explains how leaders and teams can intentionally build trust through credibility, behavior, language, frameworks, and practical action. Stephen and Britain also connect these ideas to sports, football, the Los Angeles Rams, and high-performing teams, showing why trust changes everything and why it can be built on purpose.

What We Discuss

• 00:00 - Introduction
• 00:43 - Revisiting The Speed of Trust with Stephen M. R. Covey
• 08:18 - Why Trust Became Stephen M. R. Covey’s Life Work
• 10:47 - The Big Shift: Trust Is Financial, Not Just Social
• 12:36 - The Second Shift: Trust Is a Learnable Skill
• 21:16 - What Sports Teams Reveal About High and Low Trust
• 22:37 - The Backup Quarterback Test for Trust
• 23:48 - Why Talent Alone Is Never Enough
• 25:28 - The Power of Talent and Trust Together

Notable Quotes

• [11:55] "Trust is financial, not just social. There's a business case for trust, and it's a compelling case." — Stephen M. R. Covey
• [12:55] “Trust is learnable. It’s a learnable skill. It’s a learnable competency.” – Stephen M.R. Covey
• [18:39] "Trust is the one thing that changes everything." — Stephen M. R. Covey

Resources

Paradigm Shifting Books

• Podcast
• Instagram
• YouTube

Book

• The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey

Stephen M. R. Covey

• LinkedIn

Britain Covey

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Stephen H. Covey

• LinkedIn