Trustworthy Negotiator

Today I have seen many status updates, tweets, and headlines regarding the passing of Stephen Covey. His influence is far-reaching, and I thought it would be appropriate to include a quote from him, one I use often when training leaders on the art of negotiating. High road negotiators build trust in everything they do and with everything they say. Stephen Covey wrote in Principle Centered Leadership: “Trustworthiness is based on character, what you are as a person, and competence, what you can do.” For me, this sums up what being a good negotiator is about—your character. People who strive for trust in every negotiation are rarely disappointed in what this conviction returns to them. They usually get what they want when they want it.