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The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People_ _intro_review
| The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - intro review
I have decided to start with this text as simply far too many
people have said to me I should - it clearly has an enormous
following of people who found the message rang true for them.
In the introduction Covey talks about how we perceive reality
based on certain beliefs or paradigm.
As an example, he tells the story of a ship in a fog, apparently
on a collision course with another craft. The captain, having
become quite agitated at the other crafts refusal to alter
course, experienced a significant paradigm shift when it was
realised that the other craft was a lighthouse. The captain
then faced a situation in a new light(no pun intended). His
reality and behaviour altered by the new understanding. The
message is that often we forget that what we think is reality,
is only what we see. Just ask any magician!!
A strong thread through this first section is that people don't
do things to you. They are acting on their reality in the same
way as you are seeing motives behind their actions based on what
you can see. When the feeling of being "done to" rises we too
often look to blame something external. What Covey is saying,
is that only by understanding the perceived reality of the
do'er, can we find the common reality necessary to both
appreciate the true middle ground.
This is not easy. When I have been in the position where I was
sure someone was doing something just to get back at me, I
struggle to even consider their position in any unfiltered
light. I have needed someone I trust to take me aside and say
"Listen Steve, no matter what you think, this person is doing
this because they truly believe it for the good of the group".
This was something I would not even had heard from the person
in question, and frankly was not that easy to hear from my then
trusted coach. Covey has a great quote "What you are shouts so
loudly in my ears I cannot her what you say" -how many times has
that been the case?
He speaks of an "inside-out" approach to problems, that means to
start with ourselves and whats happening on the inside. As an
example this approach says that private victories precede public
ones, that keeping promises to ourselves precedes keeping
promises to others.
"Character is a composite of our habits"
"habits are the intersection of Knowledge, Skill and Desire."
These statements under pin the rest of the book.
Covey talks about three levels of maturity. Dependence where
everything is about "you"(someone else) that we are dependent
upon. Independence, where its all about I - I am responsible
and I can do it. This is where I feel many leaders stop. With
the confidence of only themselves they try to drive others to
their dreams.
Interdependence is where its all about we. Being a natural
introvert, this is something I have to learn. I am far more
comfortable doing my stuff on my own. The thought of having to
rely on others for part of my dreams does not feel natural.
That may be a bit harsh, in fact there are a few individuals I
have worked with where is has not been an issue of leadership,
more of partnership. My issue is to expand these to a wider
number of people.
Covey talks about how interdependence can feel like dependence
and therefore not a step forward. Often phrased as "doing their
own thing" or being liberated people move back from potential
interdependence to independence.
The rest of the book is divided into three main parts. The
first three chapters deal with taking people from dependence to
independence. Now if you are like me, you think this is a step
you have already taken. This maybe so, but these chapters are
going to heighten our self awareness and cement us at or above
the level of independence. Covey describes these as "Private
Victories".
Habits four to seven are the "Public Victories" that will move
us from independence to interdependence, and the last habit is
about continuous improvement.
Covey then talks about efficiency as the necessary balance
between return and investment. Or as he calls it Production and
production Capacity (P/PC). An interesting quote here for me
was "..always treat your employees as you would have them treat
your best customers." He speaks of how you can employ people
but the extra special part of the individual has to be won,
passionate employees are there for more than the money, is the
way I see it. This is where the interdependence and trusting
those you work with all starts to come together.
The final message of the introduction is:
"No one can persuade another to change. Each of us guards a
gate of change that can only be opened from the inside".
For me this is a moment of commitment. I feel that I have a
choice here and now. I can leave the gate closed and go on as
before, or open it and dive into the rest of this text "..and
see how deep the rabbit hole goes" as Morpheus said.
Be brave, be famous.
Cheers Steve
PS: I strongly advise getting your hands on a copy of this.
Here are some links:
The book
The Audio CD
Every copy others have shown me have clearly been heavily
used!!
About the author:
I am on a journey to take myself from an accidental leader to
showing true leadership..Come with me at http://2leadership.com
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