Briefing Document: The Trust & Inspire Leadership Model

The core principles of the “Trust & Inspire” leadership model, is presented as an essential paradigm shift from the traditional “Command & Control” style. The central argument is that while the world, the nature of work, and the workforce have fundamentally changed, prevailing leadership styles have not, creating a significant gap between organizational potential and performance.

The obsolete Command & Control model, even in its more modern “Enlightened” form, is transactional, focuses on compliance, and manages people as resources to be controlled. This approach is increasingly ineffective in an era defined by five key emerging forces: rapid global change, the shift to collaborative knowledge work, the decentralization of the workplace, a diverse workforce with new expectations, and the expansion of individual choice.

The Trust & Inspire model offers a relevant, transformational alternative. It is a people-centered approach rooted in the belief that individuals possess inherent greatness and potential. This model operates through three core responsibilities, or “Stewardships”:

1. Modeling: Leaders establish credibility and moral authority through their own behavior, embodying virtues like humility, courage, authenticity, and empathy.
2. Trusting: Leaders actively and intelligently extend trust to their teams, moving beyond mere trustworthiness. This is operationalized by clarifying expectations and practicing mutual accountability to grow people’s capabilities and confidence.
3. Inspiring: Leaders connect with people on a personal level and connect them to a shared purpose, fostering a sense of contribution that ignites intrinsic motivation and commitment, which far surpasses what external motivation can achieve.

Ultimately, the Trust & Inspire framework is positioned as the most effective means to meet the two epic imperatives of the modern era: winning in the workplace by creating a high-trust culture that attracts and retains talent, and winning in the marketplace by fostering the collaboration and innovation necessary for relevance and success.

1. The Case for a New Leadership Paradigm

The foundational premise is that a profound disconnect exists between the demands of the modern world and the prevailing leadership methodologies. While organizations face immense pressure to produce more for less, the vast majority of the workforce possesses far more talent and creativity than their jobs require or allow them to contribute. This gap is a direct result of clinging to an outdated leadership paradigm.

The Obsolescence of Command & Control

The traditional leadership style, “Command & Control,” is a relic of the industrial age. It operates from a paradigm of position and power, treating people as things to be managed efficiently. Its core tools are containment, coercion, and compliance, often through “carrot-and-stick” motivation. While this model has been refined into a kinder, gentler “Enlightened Command & Control” that incorporates elements like emotional intelligence and mission statements, its fundamental paradigm of control remains unchanged.

This style is increasingly irrelevant and ineffective for several reasons:

• It stifles innovation and creativity by fostering fear and discouraging risk.
• It garners compliance at best, but fails to generate heartfelt commitment.
• It is transactional rather than transformational, focusing on short-term tasks over long-term capability development.
• It is ill-suited to a world where people demand autonomy, purpose, and trust. As the source states, “Operating from a Command & Control paradigm today is like trying to play tennis with a golf club.”

The Five Emerging Forces Driving Change

The need for a new leadership model is propelled by five interconnected global shifts:

Force	Description
1. The Nature of the World Has Changed	The pace and nature of change are unprecedented, driven by disruptive technologies like AI, robotics, and digitization. Human knowledge is now estimated to double every twelve hours, making a “learn-it-all” mindset essential over a “know-it-all” one.
2. The Nature of Work Has Changed	Work is now predominantly knowledge- and service-based, requiring collaboration, innovation, and creativity. The focus has shifted from hands to minds.
3. The Nature of the Workplace Has Changed	The traditional physical office is becoming less relevant. Work is increasingly virtual, hybrid, or globally dispersed, leading to flatter organizational structures that require greater speed and flexibility.
4. The Nature of the Workforce Has Changed	The workforce is more diverse than ever, with up to five generations working together. Younger generations (Millennials, Gen Z) have different expectations, prioritizing purpose and meaningful contribution over just a paycheck.
5. The Nature of Choice Has Changed	Technology has created infinite choice for consumers and employees. The rise of the gig economy and virtual work means top talent has unprecedented options and will choose organizations where they feel trusted, valued, and inspired.

The Two Epic Imperatives of the Modern Era

These five forces create two non-negotiable imperatives for any organization seeking sustained success:

1. Win in the Workplace: Create a high-trust culture that can attract, retain, engage, and inspire the best people. Trust is the primary driver of engagement; a study by ADP Research Institute found that employees are 14 times more likely to be fully engaged when they trust their leader. Beyond engagement is inspiration, which a Bain & Company study showed makes employees 125% more productive than merely satisfied employees.
2. Win in the Marketplace: Collaborate and innovate successfully to stay relevant in a disruptive world. Command & Control stifles the risk-taking and psychological safety necessary for true collaboration and innovation. A high-trust culture, by contrast, makes people 32 times more likely to take a responsible risk and 11 times more likely to innovate.

2. Defining the Trust & Inspire Model

Trust & Inspire is a leadership style based on the belief that people have greatness inside them and that a leader’s job is to unleash that potential. It is a shift from managing people to leading people.

Core Philosophy and Contrasts

The fundamental difference lies in the leader’s paradigm—their view of people and leadership.

Aspect	Command & Control	Trust & Inspire
Paradigm	Position and Power. Sees people as things/assets.	People and Potential. Sees people as whole individuals.
Focus	Managing and controlling people.	Unleashing talent and potential.
Motivation	Extrinsic (carrot and stick).	Intrinsic (purpose, meaning, contribution).
Outcome	Compliance and coordination.	Commitment and collaboration.
Approach	Transactional (efficiency-focused).	Transformational (effectiveness-focused).
Mindset	Scarcity (competing for credit/resources).	Abundance (elevating caring over competing).
Goal	Get things done.	Get results in a way that grows people.
Metaphor	Machinist leveraging resources.	Gardener creating conditions for growth.

The Five Fundamental Beliefs of a Trust & Inspire Leader

This leadership style flows from five core beliefs that shape a leader’s mindset and subsequent actions.

Belief	Implication for the Leader’s Job
People have greatness inside them.	My job is to unleash their potential, not control them.
People are whole people.	My job is to inspire, not merely motivate.
There is enough for everyone.	My job is to elevate caring above competing.
Leadership is stewardship.	My job is to put service above self-interest.
Enduring influence is created from the inside out.	My job is to go first.

3. The 3 Stewardships of a Trust & Inspire Leader

Trust & Inspire leadership is not an abstract theory but a practical framework built on three interdependent stewardships, or core responsibilities.

1st Stewardship: Modeling (Who You Are)

Modeling is the source of a leader’s credibility and moral authority. It is built on the belief that leaders must “go first” to create enduring influence. People are far more impacted by a leader’s example than their words.

• Credibility: This is a function of both Character (integrity, intent) and Competence (capabilities, results). Both are necessary for trust.
• Moral Authority: This is influence earned through consistent, uplifting behavior, distinct from the formal authority of a title.
• Key Behavioral Virtues to Model:
  • Humility and Courage: Humility is recognizing that principles govern, not ego. Courage is acting on those principles, especially when difficult. This combination creates leaders who are “modest and willful, shy and fearless.”
  • Authenticity and Vulnerability: Authenticity is being who you say you are (“to be rather than to seem”). Vulnerability is the courage to let others see who you really are, creating connection and trust.
  • Empathy and Performance: Empathy is seeking first to understand another’s perspective, which builds trust and enables influence. Performance is delivering results, which builds credibility and converts cynics. The two are synergistic.

2nd Stewardship: Trusting (How You Lead)

This stewardship moves beyond simply being trustworthy to actively extending trust to others. The primary challenge in leadership is not a lack of trustworthy people, but trustworthy people who do not extend trust.

• The “Why”: To Grow People. The most significant outcome of extending trust is the growth and development of the person being trusted. People rise to the occasion, develop new capabilities, and reciprocate the trust given to them.
• The “How”: Clarify Expectations and Practice Accountability. Extending trust is not a blind act; it is “smart trust.”
  • Clarify Expectations: Create a shared, mutual understanding of desired results, guidelines, and available resources upfront. This is the behavior of prevention.
  • Practice Accountability: Hold yourself accountable first, then hold others accountable to the mutually agreed-upon expectations. This shifts the dynamic from a leader judging others to individuals judging themselves against the agreement.

3rd Stewardship: Inspiring (Connecting to Why)

Inspiration is identified as the new engagement and the quality people most want in a leader. It is a learnable skill that comes from connection.

1. Connecting with People: This creates the foundation for inspiration.
   • Self-Level (Find Your “Why”): A leader must first connect with their own purpose to authentically help others.
   • Relationship Level (Caring): Genuinely care for others as whole people. As the adage goes, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
   • Team Level (Belonging): Foster a culture of inclusion where every member feels they are an important part of something larger than themselves.
2. Connecting to Purpose: Once personal connections are established, a leader can connect the work to a deeper sense of purpose, meaning, and contribution.
   • This moves beyond mission statements to help individuals see how their specific role contributes to a significant outcome (e.g., the NASA janitor “helping put a man on the moon”).
   • Purpose turns a job into a calling and is the key to unlocking discretionary effort and passion.

4. Practical Application and Overcoming Barriers

The Stewardship Agreement as a Core Tool

The “Stewardship Agreement” is a practical tool for operationalizing the Trust & Inspire model. It is a psychological and social contract that clarifies expectations and accountability, shifting the paradigm from manager to coach. It is particularly effective for remote and hybrid work environments.

• Five Elements of a Stewardship Agreement:
  1. Desired Results: What do we want to accomplish, and why?
  2. Guidelines: Within what boundaries will we operate?
  3. Resources: What support is available to achieve the results?
  4. Accountability: How will we know how we’re doing? (Ideally, this enables self-evaluation).
  5. Consequences: What are the implications of achieving or not achieving the results?

Common Barriers to Adoption

The text identifies five common mental barriers that prevent leaders from shifting to a Trust & Inspire style, along with solutions for each.

Barrier	Description	Solution Mindset & Action
1. “This Won’t Work Here”	The belief that one’s specific industry, company, boss, or culture is an exception where Trust & Inspire is not viable. This mindset places the problem “out there.”	Mindset: I am part of the solution. Action: First model the desired behavior within your circle of influence, then mentor others who are inspired by your example and results.
2. Fear (“But What If…”)	Fear of losing control, of failure, of being burned by betrayal, of not getting credit, or of personal inadequacy (“imposter syndrome”).	Mindset: The potential return outweighs the risk. Action: Extend “smart trust” by balancing risk and return, operate with an abundance mentality, and intentionally build personal credibility.
3. “I Don’t Know How to Let Go”	The deep-seated need to control tasks and methods, often stemming from the belief that “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”	Mindset: Failure is the pathway to growth and innovation. Action: Develop a high tolerance for failure, focusing on learning and course correction. Empower people with autonomy over their tasks.
4. “I’m the Smartest One in the Room”	The conscious or unconscious belief that the leader’s ideas are inherently the best, leading them to diminish the contributions of others.	Mindset: I need the strengths of those around me. Action: Become a “multiplier” by practicing humility, listening first to understand, and having a growth mindset for others, not just yourself.
5. “This Is Who I Am”	The belief that one’s leadership style is fixed and unchangeable, a product of a long-standing identity or past successes.	Mindset: I’m the programmer, not the program. Action: Actively “rescript” your leadership style by seeking out new models and mentors. Recognize that past success does not guarantee future relevance.

Contact Factoring Specialist, Chris Lehnes