Principle Centered Leadership by Covey - Essay Example

Principle Centered Leadership by Covey This essay is a reflective paper on Stephen Covey’s “Principle-Centered Leadership” (1992). In this book, Covey espouses the idea that to be effective leaders, we must work on the basis of natural principles and build those principles to become the core of our lives and our relationship with others. He believes that the same principles that govern our personal quality performance also lead to increased professional and organizational effectiveness. Even without reading the book and merely gazing at the cover of the book, I already gained a leadership principle. The cover quoted a famous Chinese proverb which states, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." It is better to teach someone how to do something than to do it for them. For example, if I were in charge of certain process in quality control of a firm, I can choose to do it myself and not teach it to my subordinates but that will just be a short term solution. My subordinates will still be dependent on me and not learn how to do it themselves. On the contrary, teaching them the process would be a long term solution and will eventually make them more responsible and probably assume the job in the future. This principle is what Covey discussed in his six conditions of empowerment where the employees are allowed to self-supervise making them accountable for their own actions. I enjoyed reading this book because the concepts presented do not only apply to the business world but also in my personal life since the wisdom and truth that it speaks of is very universal. The ideas that he proffered are applicable in making managerial decisions in an organization, as well as decisions that we make in our everyday struggles in life. The first point that struck me is the importance of developing a mission statement. I believe in his idea that a principled leader should develop a mission statement that is short, simple, generic and easily memorized so that every employee understands it and accepts it as a guiding principle resulting in its successful implementation in the organization. Having a clearly defined mission statement will prevent companies from having employees who are unclear of their company’s priorities and goals. Even as individuals, I realized that having a mission statement is a must if we want to succeed in life. Another important aspect in Covey’s book which I think will have an impact in my leadership style is the relevance of having clear communication lines in an organization. I became more aware that every employee no matter how far below they are in the hierarchy of the organizational structure must have a voice in the company. As a leader, I will try to always have an open ear to the ideas of my employees and try to develop a personal relationship with them. Covey however stressed that leaders must also learn to strike a balance between logical and emotional and sympathy and empathy to become effective communicators. My favorite chapter in Covey’s book is Chapter 11 which discuses the thirty methods of influence. According to Covey, the best way to influence the consumer’s lives is to model by example, build caring relationships, and to mentor by instruction. I particularly took notice of no. 4 which is the “performance of anonymous service”. It reminded me of a gospel passage from Matthew 6: 3-4 which states, “In giving alms, you are not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Keep your deeds of mercy secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” Although I have known this passage previously, as a leader, I did not realize that selfless service, that is, not expecting any reward from serving others, would redound to a positive influence among my co-workers. These thirty methods of influence showed me that I do not need to resort to threat or force to make people do what I want them to do, but rather I should try to lead by example by being kind, understanding and respectful to others. I will definitely apply this in my leadership style as well as for the improvement of my personality. Moral compassing is another principle which I will apply in my leadership style. Covey explains that principles are like a compass that points you to “true north”, which is a consistent direction that will lead a person to long-term effectiveness and success. He reminds us that we must always strive not merely to be value-driven but more importantly to be principle-centered. He explains further that if we are guided by our principles, we will achieve our real vision and direction. I perceive that this idea is very important if I am to be a successful leader. I must not lose direction and waste resources and opportunities that will not lead me to my “true north”. Furthermore, how can I effectively lead if I myself have no direction? It will follow then that my employees will also be at a loss, putting the whole organization in a total turmoil. The Law of the Farm is another concept which I appreciated in Covey’s book. Covey likened the typical office setting with the farming process wherein a work will only be accomplished if a specific order or process is followed at a certain time. Covey points out that we cannot have short cuts to suit our own purposes. We have to learn to be patient and respect the natural flow of things. As a leader, I will adopt this principle and try to complete my task on hand without rushing things. In the same manner, I should not expect my subordinates to become the employees I want them to be in just a snap of a finger but ultimately I should learn to be patient with them and allow them to evolve naturally. In conclusion, I can say that Covey’s “Principle-Centered Leadership” is very inspiring. I have learned a lot from reading his book and I hope to apply his principles and concepts not only in my workplace but also in my personal life. The book has changed some of my guiding principles in life. I feel confident that with the new learnings that I have gathered from Covey, I can be a better leader in the future. References Covey, S.R. (1992). Priniciple-Centered Leadership. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. Read More