Stephen R. Covey forgot an essential habit of successful people.
Don’t misunderstand me. After scanning my copy of, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, I resolved to read it again. It’s brilliant.
- Be Proactive. You are in charge of your responses.
- Begin with the end in mind. Rise above busyness to internal directedness.
- Put first things first. “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
- Think win-win.
- Seek first to understand, then be understood. Always understand others before offering solutions.
- Synergize. Experience creativity by building trust and cooperation.
- Sharpen the saw. Renew yourself physically, spiritually, mentally, and socially.
There is, however, one habit that precedes the seven.
The first habit: Begin again in new ways.
The ability to try one more time – in new ways – propels you forward. If you can’t begin again in new ways, frustration and irrelevance await.
4 ways to begin again in new ways:
- Pursue excellence with self-compassion. The strength to begin again comes from compassion.
- Stop beating yourself up. Learn instead. How can you pursue excellence while kicking yourself in the gut?
- The ultimate pursuit of excellence is bringing your best self to the world. How might you bring out your best self?
- Think what’s next. Arrival is the end. Next time is better than last time. Ask how could we do better next time.
- Integrate – don’t escape your past. Your past along with your character and skills are what you bring to this moment.
- Practice purposeful abandonment. You can’t begin again in new ways until you let go of ineffective behaviors.
- Live with your aspirations, not your history, in mind. Focus on where you’re going. (Balance this with #2.)
What prevents leaders from beginning again in new ways?
How might leaders help others begin again in new ways?