Changing Ten Million Habits

Despite its thirteen year vintage, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey (Simon & Schuster) has chalked up sales of over 10 million copies. With practical messages that are as relevant for today’s leaders as they were in 1990, here is a head’s up to encourage you to delve into this classic text on self leadership and change, so you glimpse why 10 million others have sought to change their habits.

Unlike many other business best sellers, this is not about quick fixes so forget about this formula changing your life overnight. You might have moved with your cheese but these habits are going to take a bit of practice. Here is a brief flavour of the gospel according to Stephen Covey.

Overview of Habits

Habit one involves a shift in focus from a reactive to a proactive position where Covey suggests by enlarging our circle of influence and shrinking our circle of concern to those things over which we have no control, we minimize the negative energy wasted on issues that we cannot alter. Habit two concerns personal leadership and is titled "Begin with the end in mind" with the concept cleverly illustrated as we attend our own funeral and wait to hear what our family, friends, colleagues and the community will say about our life. What we would like them to say conveys the essence of beginning with the end in mind, in life as well as in business. Habit three deals with personal management and involves putting the first two habits into practice. Emphasis is placed on time management and the distinction between urgency and importance.

Habit four introduces us to interpersonal relations and is labeled "think win/win" which moves us away from our scripted approach of win/lose into an environment of mutual benefit. Once more on the road to interdependence, habit five suggests we seek first to understand and then to be understood which involves switching the order in which most of us communicate. Covey argues that practice at this habit can significantly enlarge our circle of influence and "build some emotional bank accounts". Synergize is habit six which is according to Covey is "the essence of principle-centered leadership" which employs creativity in putting all the other habits together in an effort to find real options or alternatives to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles.

Without habit seven - Renewal, the other six won’t work. If we take time to "sharpen the saw" we preserve and enhance our greatest asset – ourselves! Our physical, mental and spiritual dimensions are influenced by habits one to three, while our social/emotional dimension focuses on habits four, five and six. A balanced review of these four aspects of our nature allows us to revisit the six habits and update and improve our personal development on a regular basis.

Covey admits in his closing remarks that he struggles with some of his ideals but the struggle is worthwhile and fulfilling and gives meaning to his life. That is a nice human touch to what is clearly a remarkable book.

This easy read is highly recommended and is good bookshelf company to Dale Carnegie’s "How to Win Friends and Influence People" and should stand a similar test of time for quite a few decades to come.

Available through aimbooks.com.au

by
Mike Roberts
Crystal Ball Management

--- Crystal Ball Management, in association with DaPo Consulting, delivers Balanced Scorecard solutions to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. Principal Mike Roberts draws from a 20 year background in Corporate Finance and Value Added Accounting Practices