The 8th Habit - From Effectiveness to Greatness

Review

"I have no life. I'm burned out - exhausted." "No one really values or appreciates me. My boss doesn't have a clue of all I'm capable of." "I'm frustrated and discouraged." If these questions or one's similar are all too familiar to you or your organization, then The 8th Habit is for you. The 8th Habit is a powerful and inspirational book. However, this book is not for the casual reader though.

To recap the full benefits that The 8th Habit has to offer, the reader needs to come prepared to engage and participate in the resources and activities that are offered throughout. We believe that this book will take some time to navigate. It is lengthy, thorough and engaging. Readers are invited to utilize this book as a road map in changing how they view leadership and their own personal influence. We are strongly recommending that serious leaders take the opportunity to read and embrace the concepts that Dr. Covey shares in The 8th Habit.

Covey has delivered a phenomenal resource to leaders that will move them and their organization "from effectiveness to greatness." Covey shares a unique model and numerous strategies including, clear pictures and diagrams, an array of research and data, and real life stories. In addition, Covey utilizes another dimension in order to communicate the principles and concepts of The 8th Habit, every book comes with a DVD that has 16 video segments that are both entertaining and inspirational.

Summary of Main Points
"Accessing the higher levels of human genius and motivation in today's new reality requires a sea change in thinking: a new mind-set, a new skill-set, a new tool-set --- in short, a whole new habit. The crucial challenge of our world today is this: to find our voice and inspire others to find theirs. It is what Covey calls the 8th Habit."

Covey begins the book by describing the pain that exists in people and organizations today, what the problem is that causes this pain, and the solution to the problem (the 8th Habit). The 8th Habit has two major parts: Find Your Voice and Inspire Others to Find Their Voice. "This two-part solution … is a road map for individuals at any level of an organization to maximize their fulfillment and influence, become an irreplaceable contributor, and inspire their team and the broader organization to do the same."

Finding your own voice is divided into two stages. First an individual needs to discover and then express their own voice. According to Covey, "Deep within each one of us there is an inner longing to live a life of greatness and contribution - to really matter, to really make a difference." Finding your own voice is best understood when Covey writes, "Discover your voice by coming to understand your true nature - what I (Dr. Covey) call three magnificent birth-gifts (chapter 4) and by developing and using with integrity the intelligence tied to each of the four parts of your nature." Covey continues by explaining that expressing your own voice is accomplished through "…cultivating the highest manifestations of these human intelligences - vision, discipline, passion and conscience (chapter 5)."

Once a person discovers and expresses their own voice, the next step in achieving greatness is to inspire others to find and express their voice. "Once you've found your own voice, the choice to expand your influence, to increase your contribution, is the choice to inspire others to find their voice." Focus and Execution are the two key strategies for inspiring others to discover and express their voice.

Focus is the concept of role modeling and creating a vision. Leaders need to role model both character and competence. The importance of developing trust and building relationships are introduced as critical factors in inspiring others. Creating a vision is the concept of engaging others in seeking the "Third Alternative" and developing ownership in a shared direction.

Execution is the concept of aligning and empowering people. Organizations need to align their goals and systems in order to achieve results and empower individuals in order to "release passion and talent."

"So many people feel frustrated, discouraged, unappreciated, and undervalues - with little or no sense of voice or unique contribution. The 8th Habit is the answer to the soul's yearning for greatness, the organization's imperative for significance and superior results, and humanity's search for its 'voice'. Dr. Covey provides thorough, practical, and inspiring principles and strategies to each one of us to move from effective to greatness.

Call to Action
After reading this book, the following six actions are recommended for those interested in effective leadership:

* Take time to discover your own voice, your own desire to achieve greatness by choosing not to settle for mediocrity, but choosing to set goals for excellence.
* Determine how you can use your voice to move your organization to greatness.
* Encourage others to find and express their voice by "… communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it in themselves."
* Utilize role modeling to influence others around you.
* Build trusting relationships by being trustworthy and trusting others.
* Release the passions and talents of the people around you by providing "… directed autonomy through win-win agreements around cascading line-of-sight goals and accountability for results."