How effective are you?
In his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, writer Stephen Covey outlines the following set of activities and attitudes that promotes good leadership skills.
1. Be proactive
This involves self-determination and the power to decide the best response to a situation, so you can control your environment rather than its controlling you.
2. Begin with the end in mind
This is essential to both personal leadership and to leading others. To achieve your aims, concentrate on activities that are relevant. This will help you to keep focused, to avoid distractions and to be more productive and successful.
3. Put first things first
Effective personal management involves organizing and implementing activities that will help you and your team to achieve your aims. While habit 2 requires mental creation, habit 3 is about physical creation.
4. Think win – win
Leadership requires good interpersonal skills, as achievements often depend on the co-operation of others. Covey argues that win-win is based on two assumptions: there is plenty for everyone and success tends to follow a co-operative approach rather than the confrontation of win-or-lose.
5. Seek to understand first and then seek to be understood
Covey argues that for good communication you need to ‘diagnose before you prescribe’ – this is an extremely powerful tool.
6. Synergize
Leaders need to understand how to use co-operation creatively. Given the principle of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts, organizing co-operative activities to utilize each person’s strengths will promote a successful outcome. Covey argues that this requires us to see both the good and the potential in the other person’s contribution.
7. Sharpen the saw
Self-renewal both enables and strengthens the other habits. Covey divides the self into four parts – spiritual, mental, physical and social/emotional – which should all be developed if you wish to become a highly effective leader.