A groundbreaking and paradigm-shifting book, The Speed of Trust challenges our age-old assumption that trust is merely a soft, social virtue. Instead, it demonstrates that trust is a hard-edged, economic driver -- a learnable and measurable skill that makes organizations more profitable, people more promotable, and relationships more energizing.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change was a groundbreaker when it was first published in 1990, and it continues to be a business bestseller with more than 10 million copies sold. Stephen Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority, realizes that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness, so this book is a manual for performing better in both arenas. His anecdotes are as frequently from family situations as from business challenges.
Before you can adopt the seven habits, you'll need to accomplish what Covey calls a "paradigm shift"--a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works. Covey takes you through this change, which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your "proactive muscles" (acting with initiative rather than reacting), and much more.
Stephen Covey - The 8th Habit (Unabridged 8hrs)
The original seven habits of highly successful people are still
relevant, but Covey, author of the mega-bestseller of that title, says
that the new Information/Knowledge Worker Age, exemplified by the
Internet, calls for an eighth habit to achieve personal and
organizational excellence: "Find your voice and inspire others to find
theirs." Covey sees leadership "as a choice to deal with people in a
way that will communicate to them their worth and potential so clearly
they will come to see it in themselves." His holistic approach starts
with developing one's own voice, one's "unique personal significance."
The bulk of the book details how, after finding your own voice, you can
inspire others and create a workplace where people feel engaged. This
includes establishing trust, searching for third alternatives (not a
compromise between your way and my way, but a third, better way) and
developing a shared vision. This book isn't easy going; less business
jargon and more practical examples would have made this livelier and
more helpful. But if organizations operated with Covey's ideas—and
ideals—most people would undoubtedly find work much more satisfying.
The great "angst" of life has seemingly gripped us all, and there seems
to be no limit to the number of writers offering answers to the great
perplexities of life. Covey, however, is the North Star in this field.
Following his successful Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (S.
& S., 1989), Covey now responds to the particular challenges of
business leaders by applying his natural laws, or principles, of life
to organizations. Covey explains these laws (security, guidance,
wisdom, and power), and discusses how seven-habits practice and focus
on these principles will result in personal and organizational
transformation. He reminds us that personal and organizational success
is hard work, requires unwavering commitment and long-term perspective,
and is achievable only if we are prepared for a complete paradigm shift
in our perspective. Without hesitation, strongly recommended for all
management collections.
