The 7 habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey really set the tone for a new business model. Written in 1989 (I was in the 8th grade) it was the first to put forth ideas like win win. I remember going to a win win seminar when I was in high school and a waiter at the Fargo Country Club. I did not know then that it came from this book. Here you will also find the original push for personal and business mission statements. I got kind of cynical of mission statements when the Church I was at spend 6 months and hundreds of hours crafting a mission statement that no one could remember and no one would look at again after it was done. I did learn it was not a good idea to ask your boss "so how does this fit into our mission statement?" It was then I crafted my own mission statement for my life. Ready? It is very profound. "People are going to hell and I have to do something about it."
Even though it is an older book its values for principled centered leadership is so very helpful today. I have heard each of these points echoed in other books I have read, but this is the source.
So here they are, the Seven habits.
- Be Proactive, have a vision and go for it. Don't wait for things to happen
- Begin with the end in mind
- Put First Things First
- Think Win Win
- Seek first to understand, then to be understood
- Synergize, or creative cooperation
- Sharpen the Saw
If you have not read this book you need to, it was required reading for Inger Lise's MBA program. That says something as well.