For those of you who got the chance to read the 8th Habit, I highly urge you to get a copy of the book, “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. He is the author of the popular book – “Built to Last.”
According to the author, this book is a must read prior Built to Last in order to find out what does it take to be good to great. Once greatness is achieved, push to make it lasting.
For the companies that were featured from being good to great, there’s one thing common about them. Their leaders exhibited Level 5 leadership. This is where the figurehead of the organization has great humility and professional will. They are ambitious in achieving the goals of the company first, not themselves. They set up their successors for even greater victory in the next generation.
They are not your usual celebrity CEO. Level 5 leaders are modest, self-effacing, and understated. They are diligent and work like a plow horse rather than a show horse. They attribute success to factors other than themselves but take full responsibility when things turn poorly.
The level 5 leadership values totally jives with the 8th Habit. It focuses on finding the right people and empower them, rather than write lofty visions then find people to do the work.
This is where I realized that when things don’t go well as planned, it is not just the program, but also having the wrong people in the bus.
Indeed, the age of wisdom requires us to unlearn a lot of things. However, one can say that wisdom is realized when humility and courage are combined in getting the work done.
Note that the more we know, the more we don’t know. Because as our wisdom increase, the more we become sensitive about the things we don’t know. Therefore giving us humility and courage to accept such. Reach out to others for help in getting things done.
If we want the organizations that we serve turn from good to great, we must have the 7 Habits and 8th habit instilled in us to achieve Level 5 leadership. As we mature and reach that level, what is best for the organization, customers, employees, than what’s in it for our personal interest shall matter most.