Prof. Simon L. Dolan is considered an international guru in the field of building trust, particularly within teams and organizations, for several interrelated reasons:
1. Trust as a Core Focus in His Methodologies
Prof. Dolan promotes the idea that “Trust is the mother of all values”—a central principle in his frameworks. He emphasizes that sustainable leadership, effective teamwork, and organizational success fundamentally rely on trust rooted in shared core values.
- Managing by Values (MBV):
A purpose-driven framework co-developed by Dolan in the early 2000s, placing trust as a central component of organizational strategy. - Coaching by Values (CBV):
A coaching methodology based on his Triaxial Model of Values, which helps teams identify, prioritize, and align their values to strengthen trust and cohesion.
2. Influential Books Where Trust Plays a Central Role
Prof. Dolan’s publications reinforce trust as a key value in management, leadership, and coaching:
- Managing by Values (2006, with Garcia and Richley)
Focuses on how shared values, especially trust, drive organizational effectiveness. - Coaching by Values (2011)
Introduces tools and strategies for coaches to help clients establish trust through values clarification. - Leading, Managing and Coaching by Values (2016)
Synthesizes previous work, positioning trust as essential for adaptive leadership and navigating uncertainty. - The Value of Values® Card Game
A practical educational tool designed by Dolan that helps individuals and teams identify and discuss their core values. Trust is highlighted as a foundational value in the game, used by coaches and HR professionals worldwide. - Cracking the Trust Code (2025) – A book that unveils theart and science of building trust, that already is available in three languages : Spanish by McGraw Hill) and French by (PUQ).
3. Key Articles and Academic Contributions
While there are numerous papers authored by Prof. Dolan, several stand out in positioning him as a thought leader on trust:
- Tzafrir S., Dolan S.L. (2004) TRUST-ME: A Scale for Measuring Manager-Employee Trust
- Dolan S.L., Brykman K., Tzafrir S., (2024) Trust-Me: A Concept and Metric to Embed in Leaders, Enhancing their Effectiveness
- Dolan, S. L., & Garcia, S. (2002). Managing by Values: Cultural redesign for strategic organizational change at the dawn of the 21st century.
- Dolan, S. L., Garcia, S., & Auerbach, A. (2003). Understanding and Managing Chaos in Organizations: A values-based approach.
These works emphasize how trust functions as a stabilizing force amid organizational change.
4. International Recognition and Application
- Founder of the Global Future of Work Foundation (Barcelona)
- Co-creator of ISSWOV (International Society for the Study of Work and Organizational Values)
- IFSAM Award for Excellence in Societally Relevant Management Scholarship (2024)
- Recipient of a doctorate honoris causa by the University of Huelva in 2024
Through these platforms, Dolan has influenced global HR, leadership development programs, and executive coaching practices, helping organizations embed trust-building practices as part of their cultural DNA.