Trust is the glue that holds organizations together. More powerful than contracts or authority, trust enables partner companies -- or groups within a company -- to achieve results that exceed the sum of the parts. Without trust, alliances fail. In ITrusted Partners,/I internationally recognized alliance expert Jordan Lewis draws on four decades of advising and managing alliances to show -- for the first time -- how to build and sustain trust between and within organizations.PA comprehensive and multifaceted analysis of trust, ITrusted Partners/I shows how to develop, manage, measure, improve, or repair this important dimension of every business relationship. "Trust must be constructed, one step at a time," Lewis maintains. He breaks significant new ground by describing each of these steps -- including how to assemble the elusive interpersonal, leadership, political, organizational, structural, and governance components of trust.PClear in its explanation of what trust entails, ITrusted Partners/I uses dozens of stories and case examples, among them alliances between Canon and Hewlett-Packard, Ford and ABB, and Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart, all of which achieved market-beating results.PLewis begins by establishing eight conditions for trust and shows how to determine if trust is possible. He then details:P* How to build, manage, and repair trustBR* How to trust difficult customersBR* How to sell alliances to customersBR* How to trust a rivalBR* How to build trust between internal groupsBR* How to create a culture of trustBR* How to build trust in mergers and acquisitionsPConcluding ITrusted Partners/I is a section entitled "Tools for Trust." This practical, easy-to-use reference guide covers in depth all the key aspects of trust -- from measuring trust and using alliance ethics to sharing know-how and benefits, working with attorneys, and choosing the best alliance structure.PAt a time when alliances have become a preferred competitive strategy for most companies, and with most alliances ending as failures, management at all levels cannot afford to ignore this powerful book.