| "The call and need of a new era is for greatness. | | | | resides in principle-centered leadership. Principles |
| It's for fulfillment, passionate execution | | | | are not myinvention; they are self-evident and |
| andsignificant contribution." | | | | are found throughout the world. If you look at all |
| - Stephen R. Covey, from The 8th Habit: From | | | | enduring philosophies, religions and thoughts, you |
| Effectiveness to Greatness | | | | will find principles such as integrity,compassion, |
| Making a rare public appearance in Toronto at the | | | | trust, honesty, accountability and others at their |
| Mississauga Living Arts Centre, world-respected | | | | core. I simply translated these principles into a |
| leadership authority and author of the international | | | | framework of habits, which when followed with |
| bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, | | | | consistency and frequency transforms one's |
| named the #1 Most Influential Business Book | | | | character and allows one to earn the moral |
| ofthe Twentieth Century, Dr. Stephen R. Covey | | | | authority necessary for enduring leadership. |
| spoke on his latest book, The 8th Habit: From | | | | I must also clarify the definition of leadership, |
| Effectiveness to Greatness to a packedaudience. | | | | which is sadly and narrowly defined as position, |
| Having taught principle-centered leadership for | | | | title, status or rank. This is formal authority and |
| over four decades, this living legend and world | | | | not necessarily leadership. Through years of |
| icon, with his quiet energy and grace, epitomized a | | | | study, teaching and working with people all over |
| call to greatness and earned the respect of the | | | | the world, from all walks of life, I have |
| audience -- standing as a grandfather figure for | | | | determined that leadership is: Communicating to |
| unleashing human potential in many generations. | | | | people their worth and potential so clearly that |
| A hero to millions, Dr. Covey is known the world | | | | they come to see it in themselves. It is the |
| over for his landmark work around helping people | | | | influence we have with others to help them |
| take profound ideas, philosophies, and principles | | | | discover their own voice, to find their own |
| and distilling them into easy-to-use daily habits that | | | | purpose, to make their unique contribution, and to |
| anyone can apply. In his inspirational presentation | | | | release their potential, that trulydefines leadership. |
| at the Living Arts Centre, he conveyed simple | | | | Thus, leadership extends to the many personal |
| yet very powerful gems of wisdom that I found | | | | and professional roles we play - as workers, |
| practical and useful. For example, if you want | | | | parents, children, teachers, students, swamis, you |
| your children to develop a love oflearning and | | | | name it - and thechoice we make to live by |
| never have to rag on them again for not doing | | | | principles to help others find their voice. |
| their homework and not getting better grades, | | | | In your book, 8th Habit, you talk about finding |
| simply ask them when they return from school, | | | | one's voice and developing one's "unique personal |
| "Teach me what you've learned today." By using | | | | significance." How does one begin doing that? |
| this one simple habit, Covey claims he's never had | | | | To achieve greater heights each person must be |
| a problem encouraging his children to learn | | | | challenged to find their voice - their unique |
| because teaching is the best way to learn. | | | | personal significance and purposeful meaning - and |
| Another gem he talked about is the habit of | | | | help others to find theirs. |
| seeking to understand before being understood | | | | Voice lies at the nexus of talent, passion, need |
| through empathic listening. In the audience of over | | | | and conscience. When anyone engages in work |
| 800 people, he asked how many people had any | | | | that taps into their talent and fuels their passion - |
| formal training on listening; only 13 hands went up | | | | that rises out of a great need in the world that |
| revealing just how ego-centric of a me-me-me | | | | they feel drawn by conscience to meet - therein |
| culture we live in. Covey related how many Native | | | | lies their voice in life. The 8th Habit is all about |
| Indian tribes use what's called the Talking Stick | | | | how to find your voice and help others to find |
| which is used in all meetings where theperson | | | | theirs. |
| holding the Talking Stick is the only person allowed | | | | What leader do you really admire and why? |
| to speak until he or she feels understood; when | | | | One immediate leader who comes to mind is |
| the possessor of the Talking Stick feels | | | | Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank. |
| completely understood, then,and only then, is the | | | | His story is one that illustrates the path to finding |
| Talking Stick passed on to the next person. This | | | | one's voice and helping others find theirs. |
| creates an incredible understanding and synergy | | | | Muhammad saw a need, felt his conscience move |
| among the team. Every business would do well | | | | him to try and fill that need and applied his talents |
| tohave a Talking Stick! | | | | and passion to fill it. In the process, he found his |
| Covey then went on to the crux of his message | | | | voice and helped others to find theirs. |
| which is the 8th Habit of becoming an island of | | | | Muhammad wanted to help his impoverished |
| excellence in a sea of mediocrity by finding one's | | | | fellow citizens in Bangladesh. He met a woman |
| voice and helping others tofind theirs. According to | | | | who made bamboo stools only to make two U.S. |
| Covey, the main problem is that businesses are | | | | pennies each day. He inquired about her work and |
| still trapped in the old paradigm of Industrial Age | | | | found that the woman had no money to buy the |
| thinking even though we're well into the | | | | necessary bamboo, so she was forced to borrow |
| Knowledge | | | | money from a trader on condition that she sell |
| Worker Age. What's required is a new paradigm | | | | him her finished product at a price he dictated. |
| he calls the "whole body paradigm" of integrating | | | | This poor woman in essence was held hostage by |
| body, mind, heart, and spirit which he respectively | | | | this trader. |
| equates to the principles ofdiscipline, vision, | | | | This woman was not alone, there was an entire |
| passion, and conscience. The Industrial Age is still | | | | village of 42 hard working people working in |
| very much focused on the body (things, systems, | | | | unbearable circumstances and Muhammad |
| structures, procedures, efficiency, bottom-line). | | | | calculated that it only required $27 U.S. dollars to |
| But Coveyestimates that approximately 80 | | | | help them out. He immediately gave the money |
| percent of all the value added to goods and | | | | to the people and told them it was a loan to be |
| services now comes from knowledge work | | | | re-paid when they were able. |
| versus things. Twenty years ago that number | | | | Muhammad even went further to ask the local |
| was the inverse: only 20 percent. | | | | bank to loan these villagers additional money and |
| So the key is not behavior - it's the map. The | | | | offered himself as a guarantor. Much to the |
| key is the accuracy of the map. Once paradigm | | | | skepticism and surprise of the bankers, the |
| shifts the behavior will also shift. Covey clearly | | | | villagers paid every penny back on several loans. |
| illustrated this point byasking everyone to close | | | | Muhammad eventually expanded this loan program |
| their eyes and point "North." When he asked us to | | | | by creating his own microcredit lending institution |
| open our eyes and look around, I noticed | | | | called the Grameen Bank, so he could help |
| everyone was pointing in different directions! In a | | | | numerous villages. |
| similar vein, the majority of organizations have | | | | Grameen Bank now works with more than |
| their people pointing in different directions; sighting | | | | 46,000 villages giving micro-loans, lending |
| a recent Harris Poll, Covey states that "only 37 | | | | approximately half a billion dollars a year to |
| percent of workers say they havea clear | | | | empower the poor (96% of whom are women) |
| understanding of what their organization is trying | | | | to produce and sell their goods and build housing. |
| to achieve and why." No one knows where true | | | | So far, the bank has assisted 3.7 million people. |
| "North" is. There is no moral compass, no | | | | The micro-credit movement has now spread |
| conscience, no guiding spirit. | | | | throughout the world. |
| Part of the solution, according to Covey, is to | | | | What advice would you give youth who will |
| have a transcendent goal, what he calls a WIG or | | | | become future leaders of tomorrow? |
| Wildly Important Goal, that serves a greater | | | | In my 8th Habit book I share the idea that |
| purpose. Only once this goalis clearly | | | | everyone chooses one of two roads in life, |
| communicated to everyone in an organization can | | | | whether you're older or younger, man or woman, |
| quantum improvements begin to happen in the | | | | rich or poor. The most traveled road is the one |
| workplace. | | | | that takes us to mediocrity and the other less |
| Here is my interview with Dr. Covey revealing his | | | | traveled road takes us to greatness and meaning. |
| latest insights from his most recent book, The | | | | The first road limits us and prevents us from |
| 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness: | | | | realizing our full potential. This road is often the |
| What sacrifices have you made to be where you | | | | quick-fix or short-cut approach to life. It often |
| are today? | | | | lures us to it when we don't take accountability |
| I have worked very hard to dedicate my | | | | for ourselves or see ourselves as victims. My |
| personal and professional life to principlecentered | | | | advice to the youth is to avoid the road of |
| living. I am driven by a passion and conscience to | | | | mediocrity. It's probably hard for them to see into |
| spread understanding forprinciples and how to | | | | the longterm, but if they will try to see |
| apply them to reach greatness. To that extent, | | | | themselves as human beings with vast potential, |
| there is no sacrifice - only a passionate, relentless | | | | and see that next to life itself their greatest gift |
| commitment to my work, family, community and | | | | is choice - they can choose their responses to |
| church tomake a lasting difference. | | | | whatever comes to them in life, and take |
| What in your opinion is the most important | | | | responsibility for their choices, their behaviors, |
| attribute of a leader and why? | | | | their feelings and choose to create their future. |
| I believe the most important attribute for a leader | | | | My son, Sean, wrote The 7 Habits of Highly |
| is being principle-centered. Centering on principles | | | | Effective Teens to help [young people] become |
| that are universal and timeless provides a | | | | their best selves. He speaks wonderfully to the |
| foundation and compass to guideevery decision | | | | youth (much better than I), and I would |
| and every act. I've based my life's work on | | | | recommend his book to anyone wanting to start |
| promoting principles and teaching the power that | | | | good habits at a young age. |