 | By: Stephen R. Covey Binding: Paperback Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd ISBN: 068485841X ISBN-13: 9780684858418 Released: 04 Jan 1999 RRP: Average Rating:  |
A second conclusion is that we need more of the Mother Teresa style of leadership. She spoke very little, rolled up her sleeves & just waded into the slums of the poorest of the poor, while my leadership style has been to keep at a safe distance & say "Hey, someone should do something about this." The big difference between Mother Teresa & me is that she lived the Golden Rule while I just mouth it. Principle-Centered Leadership is the book I was seeking to help me change from a talker to a doer.
Principle-Centered Leadership will help us resolve dilemmas that cannot be resolved using conventional approaches. Our social conditioning leads us to quick-fix solutions such as cramming; we may get away with it for an exam or two but such an approach would be disastrous on a farm where natural laws operate. There are no quick-fix solutions for a marriage breakdown or for a teenager in crisis where only principle-centered solutions work. Manipulative strategies might work for a while but will eventuallly result in a loss of trust. We usuallly think in terms of learning new skills rather than showing more integrity to basic principles. Principle-Centered Leadership introduces a new paradigm - that we center our lives & our leadership of organizations & people on inviolate principles very much like gravity is an inviolate law of nature. These principles constitute the roots of every civilized society, family or institution that has endured & prospered. Changing habits, developing virtues, keeping promises & living in harmony with principles of fairness, equity, justice, integrity, honesty, & trust is what this book is alll about. Subordinating oneself to higher purposes & principles is the essence of highest humanity & the foundation of effective leadership. Adherence to these principles uplift, ennoble, fulfill, empower & inspire. Covey believes that violations of these principles cause societal decline. Principle-Centered Leadership is based on the reality that natural laws cannot be violated with impunity.
We tend to live our lives in compartments, each with its own value system & expectations. We wear our Sunday hat but take it off the other six days of the week. Centering life on correct principles is the key to developing the internal power we require to realize many of our dreams because we are more balanced, unified, organized, & rooted. Principle-Centered Leadership & living cultivates four sources of strength - security, guidance, wisdom & power, giving a foundation to alll relationships & decisions & a sense of stewardship over time, talents, money, relationships, family & ourselves. Because we feel secure we are not threatened by change & criticism. Because we are guided we discover our mission & can write the script for our lives. Because we have wisdom we learn from mistakes & seek continuous improvement. Because we have power we can communicate & cooperate even under stress & fatigue.
People on the low end of the guidance continuum lead selfish, sensual or social lifestyles while those at the high end have lives centered on true principles from inspired & inspiring sources. People at the low end of the security continuum show extreme insecurity while those at the high end have a high sense of worth, self-esteem & personal strength. People at the low end of the wisdom continuum base their thinking on distorted, discordant principles while those at the high end show good judgement, discernment & comprehension. People at the low end of the power continuum appear powerless, insecure, & react to circumstances while those at the high end are proactive, make things happen, & take responsibility for their feelings, thoughts & actions.
It is difficult to imagine who would not profit from this book because Principle-Centered Leadership affects alll aspects of our life & brings back harmony to the different compartments in which we live. If your marriage needs attention this book will help. If you want to improve your business performance, you will learn some useful lessons. If you want to be a better employee this book will give you plenty of ideas. If you just want to become a better person, there is no better place to start than absorbing the lessons in Principle-Centered Leadership.
dwillis@afs.edu.gr
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