Interview With Business Leadership Author Michael Rabinowitz

 

  

"The business advice and self-help genres are filled with similar titles, but few offer advice that's as concise and thoughtful as Rabinowitz does in this work." — Kirkus Reviews

"Timely, exceptional, deftly crafted, and of enormous value… unreservedly recommended." — Midwest Book Review

 

1. What inspired you to write the book? In consulting with CEOs on internal organizational challenges, dealmaking, and communications, I kept finding that the root issue we were solving was trust. I had seen the same thing years earlier: whether leading billion-dollar product launches, turning around struggling businesses, or building programs that transformed industry practice, trust was the currency that mattered most. That insight felt too important to share one client at a time, so I wrote a book that summarizes the lessons and practical advice for leveraging this critical leadership skill.  

2. What is the book about and who for? Win Via Trust takes a straightforward, effective approach that makes trust a learnable skill that drives results, not simply a soft virtue. I comprehensively cover the key aspects of trust that an organizational leader needs to know by first introducing the concept in a personal story from my more than 30 years of experience in Fortune 100 companies, startups, and nonprofits to make the issue relatable. I then review the existing evidence as found in studies, surveys, and industry best practices to provide an up-to-date picture of what we know and don’t. I summarize these insights and best practices in two paragraphs in a section titled “The Bottom Line.”  In the next section called “So What,” I move from the science to what it means for how today’s leader acts. Each chapter concludes with “Winning Moves,” practical and actionable next steps a leader should take to leverage trust to improve their performance and their organization’s results. The book is for leaders who are open to improvement, wherever they are in their leadership journey, regardless of whether they work in marketing, sales, finance, technology, operations, or fundraising functions.  

3. What do I hope readers get out of the book? My goal is for leaders to recognize the importance of trust and subsequently elevate their performance by applying practical approaches to lead with trust. By adjusting how they think about and apply trust, they should quickly see stronger short-term results such as faster decisions, closed deals, and engaged teams, along with more sustainable long-term impact.  

4. How did I decide on the book’s title and cover? I wanted the title to set the tone for the book by being clear and concise. So, I quickly concluded that three words were enough: Win Via Trust. Similarly, I wanted a visual that communicated that we were not inventing something new, just unlocking a skill that everyone can further develop. My creative partner, Marko Markovic, developed the lock imagery, which we wanted to stand out against a strong navy background. Hopefully, readers will likewise stand out after unlocking the power of trust.  

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? I am too early in my book journey to offer much advice, let alone wisdom. If this proves to be analogous to other major efforts I have undertaken, I simply suggest that the author ensure that they are writing about something that they are passionate about, be humble enough to learn and grow during the process, and trust themselves to make the choices that will allow their book to be authentic and a contribution beyond what is already available.  

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?  There are several book trends that reflect broader trends across all industries. Digital saturation is driving a significant segment of consumers to seek non-digital sanctuaries, helping bookstores grow again. Influencers are entering publishing as ‘authorpreneurs,’ using their existing networks to efficiently scale a message and create consumer demand. Additionally, AI is both enabling and challenging what it means to publish original content. I believe that the publishing industry can thrive through all this change if it maintains an unrelenting focus on serving the needs of the reader, as it has done through every technological and societal advance since the printing press.  

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? That is an easy question since I used my life experiences to introduce trust concepts at the beginning of every chapter.  Whether making high-stakes deals, leading a pharma company’s investor communications through a crisis, turning around a struggling business, coaching teenagers on a playoff basketball run, or leading a high adventure scouting trip in the Adirondacks, my experiences have reinforced that trust is essential to accomplish anything of substance. Trust is the engine that makes collaboration possible, and these experiences offer examples that bring the theory to the real world.  

8.   How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I highly value the time readers spend with me and ruthlessly strive to be concise and practical. My recommendations are based on my experience and corroborated with real-world evidence, which I cite so that researchers receive full credit and readers can follow up on the primary sources if they wish.  Readers who enjoyed Stephen M.R. Covey’s The Speed of Trust will find familiar territory, but my focus is on practical application, with evidence-based “Winning Moves” in every chapter that leaders can act on immediately.  

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? As a first-time author, every step in the process brought significant learning and growth. I wrote much of the book while traveling on planes to business meetings, and as other travelers will tell you, not every flight provided a comfortable environment to write. I also took a few months off when my father passed away, may his memory be for a blessing. When finalizing the book, I wrestled with whether to wait for newer study results or the impact of the next round of AI innovation on leadership. Ultimately, I decided the insights and practical approaches were evergreen and did not need to wait.  

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? If you’re looking to improve individual or organizational success, Win Via Trust crystallizes what you need to know as a leader and provides practical advice that you can apply immediately. One framework that you will not find anywhere else is the Trustworthy Decision Matrix, a simple yet powerful 2×2 decision tool built on two questions: does this person or company have a track record of meeting expectations, and how difficult or risky is the task at hand? Utilizing this matrix delivers a clear, evidence-based assessment on whether to move forward and what level of support is needed to succeed. For leaders of organizations large or small, for-profit or nonprofit, this practical architecture for decision-making elevates trust as a corporate value and a competitive advantage. As Kirkus Reviews stated: “The business advice and self-help genres are filled with similar titles, but few offer advice that’s as concise and thoughtful as Rabinowitz does in this work.” You can learn more about my book and listen to my Win Via Trust leadership podcast at winviatrust.com.

 

About The Author: Michael Rabinowitz brings more than thirty years of real-world leadership experience to every engagement. As a C-suite executive, entrepreneur, and advisor to organizations across the full spectrum of business, Michael has lived the challenges his audiences face every day. His presentations are grounded in decades of research and real-world application, rich with practical frameworks, and delivered with the authority of someone who has actually done the work. Audiences consistently leave with actionable insights they can implement. Please see www.winviatrust.com.

 

Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 10, 000,000 page views. With over 5,700+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2026, 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum