Principle-Centered Leadership

Some of the other reviews say that the concept of principle centered leadership is old or rehashed, or that people who don't know this shouldn't be in business. Yet it's still incredibly hard to find corporations that operate on leading by principle. The vast majority of companies still hire people to do a specific job and if the workers become more efficient, they're marginally rewarded. "Do this over and over again, and we'll give you some money." The concept of utilizing the actual mind's of employees is brilliant. Creativity is an infinite untapped resource. Consider the fact that we only use 10% of our brains. Imagine what would happen if we started tapping into that remaining 90%. Imagine what would happen to a company if it tapped into the massive creative conscious of its many employees. People can't be treated like machines that need to be more efficient. People are not machines, they are people. Stimulate their minds and get them to contribute to the direction of the company and (surprise,surprise) they will feel like they matter. This will bring forward motivation, enthusiasm and responsibility AS WELL AS fresh ideas, innovative solutions and ultimately, rampant growth. All the company needs is a worthy principle to guide the people. Here's a good example: "Serve the customer like they've never been served before." The company that succeeds understands that there's always a better way to do something, and after achieveing the better way, there's an even better way. In order to find these better ways, the successful company realizes that their workers can contribute very useful ideas by being actively involved in the direction of the company. Principle centered leadership is not an old concept. It is a necessary concept that unfortunately only a minority of businesses use. This book is required reading for any business or leader.

In this great book by Stephen Covey, we learn Covey's philosophy for creating more meaningful relationships and successes in the workplace. something we should be striving to implement throughout business and industry.Coveys shows us how to implement these techniques in the home and elsewhere and the result is we will be rewarded with happiness and a fulfilling future.Prior to reading Principle Centered Leadership, I didn't think it was possible to successfully balance my personal, family and professional life.Principle Centered Leadership is a great addition to Coveys classic 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.

I have concluded that the root cause of all the ills of the world is that humans do not live their lives according to the Golden Rule of doing unto others as you would have others do unto you. The Golden Rule is the common thread of all religions and can therefore be considered the unifying principle for every human on earth. It is probably the one concept that everyone can buy into but also one goal that everyone would admit they could and should do better. For myself I know that if I truly lived the Golden Rule I would feel much more pain at the unacceptable gap between the rich and the poor because as one of the rich I would see myself or my loved ones as one of the starving and would want to do something about it. The fact that I don't do anything about it - or not enough - means that I am just a wimp. Just a lot of hot air. I say one thing but do another. My failure, multiplied six billion times is what has turned this paradise we inherited into the crisis-ridden planet we live on today. It was a strange and wonderful discovery, therefore, that this book has been written to help me - and you should you be so inclined - to come closer to living the Golden Rule through what the author refers to as Principle-Centered Leadership.A second conclusion is that we need more of the Mother Teresa style of leadership. She spoke very little, rolled up her sleeves and just waded into the slums of the poorest of the poor, while my leadership style has been to keep at a safe distance and say "Hey, someone should do something about this." The big difference between Mother Teresa and 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 eventually result in a loss of trust. We usually 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 and our leadership of organizations and 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 and prospered. Changing habits, developing virtues, keeping promises and living in harmony with principles of fairness, equity, justice, integrity, honesty, and trust is what this book is all about. Subordinating oneself to higher purposes and principles is the essence of highest humanity

This isn't a book you can read through once and understand thoroughly. Coveys writing style is superb, his understanding of human nature is uncanny. He starts by forming a simile: the art of leadership is like farming. It requires daily vigilance: planting, watering, weeding, fertilizing, and harvesting--in that order. If a farmer owns a cow, he doesn't just milk it when he feels like it. It is a job which needs to be done twice daily, every day. Managing (Leading) a business is exactly the same, at least if you want it to be done correctly. Many managers/leaders feel that it's okay to run a business on auto-pilot. This may be a fatal error. Covey uses the same 7 Steps as he uses in the same-titled book. He also compares his 7 Step leadership methods with those of the great W. Edwards Deming. Throughout this book the author guides the leader/person to lead by example. To allow those he leads to be self-leaders, and to feel that they are of great importance to the company. One of the major aims of Covey is to make a Mission Statement. This, he believes, should be done by all members of a company/corporation/family, etc.. He also stresses the age old Confucious saying, "Feed a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." I have a great deal of respect for this man, and truly believe he walks his talk. As I read this book, many of the concepts pertained to situations in my life which I was dealing with at that very time (a little haunting, perhaps inspired?). I highly recommend this book, as well as any other by this great human being and author.