8th Habit From Effectiveness to Greatness

Chapter 3: The Solution There is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come. Victor Hugo Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root."1 This book is dedicated to striking at the root of the significant problems we face. We've started with the pain; we've explored the underlying problem -- one that has personal roots and that involves a deeply imbedded paradigm and set of traditions in the workplace. Now let's set the context for the solution and give an overview of how it will be unfolded in the remainder of the book. I've worked with organizations around the world for over forty years and have been a student of the findings of the great minds who have studied organizations. Most of the great cultural shifts -- ones that have built great organizations that sustain long-term growth, prosperity and contribution to the world -- started with the choice of one person. Sometimes that one person was the formal leader -- the CEO or president. Very often it started with someone else -- a professional, a line manager, someone's assistant. Regardless of their position, these people first changed themselves from the inside out. Their character, competence, initiative and positive energy -- in short, their moral authority -- inspired and lifted others. They possessed an anchored sense of identity, discovered their strengths and talents, and used them to meet needs and produce results. People noticed. They were given more responsibility. They magnified the new responsibility and again produced results. More and more people sat up and noticed. Top people wanted to learn of their ideas -- how they accomplished so much. The culture was drawn to their vision and to them. People like this just don't get sucked into or pulled down for long by all the negative, demoralizing, insulting forces in the organization. And interestingly, their organizations are no better than most organizations. To some degree, they're all a mess. These people just realize that they can't wait for their boss or the organization to change. They become an island of excellence in a sea of mediocrity. And it's contagious. Where does a person get such internal strength to swim against the current and to withstand negative cultural provocations, subordinate selfish interests and develop and sustain such vision and determination? They learn of their true nature and gifts. They use them to develop a vision of great things they want to accomplish. With wisdom they take initiative and cultivate great understanding of the needs and opportunities around them. They meet those needs that match their unique talents, that tap their higher motivations and that make a difference. In short, they find and use their voice. They serve and inspire others. They apply PRINCIPLES that govern growth and prosperity in human beings AND in organizations -- principles that draw the highest and best from a "whole person" -- body, mind, heart and spirit. Equally significant, they also choose to influence and inspire others to find their voice through these principles as well. This two-part solution -- Find Your Voice and Inspire Others to Find Theirs -- 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. Accordingly, the book is organized into two main sections: 1. Find Your Voice 2. Inspire Others to Find Their Voice Let's briefly introduce each. Find Your Voice Everyone chooses one of two roads in life -- the old and the young, the rich andCovey, Stephen R. is the author of '8th Habit From Effectiveness to Greatness', published 2005 under ISBN 9780743287937 and ISBN 0743287932.