REVIEW: Rules for Effective Leadership by Stephen Covey

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-18 01:29

To be honest, this is the first Stephen Covey book I read. And, no doubt, not the last. The book itself is small, about 140 pages of pure presentation, but it won't be read in a few hours. In some places I put the book aside in order to “digest” what I had read. Not without doing my homework at the end of each chapter:) I decided to do it too. Well, now to the book itself.

Stephen Covey touches on an unusual topic - leadership in times of uncertainty … The author argues that in times of crisis it is possible not only to build an outstanding career, but also to bring an entire company to a new level.

The book provides four main dangersthat lie in wait for the company in unpredictable times and methods of dealing with them:

• Lack of execution … Even if you have a strategy for dealing with a crisis, it cannot guarantee absolutely nothing. This strategy is carried out by people. The whole question is, are your commands capable of doing what is intentional? You've probably heard about Pareto's Law - the 20/80 principle. 20% of the effort gives 80% of the result. 20% of employees do 80% of the work - they are the ones who do the best. Of the remaining 80% of specialists, 60% work averagely - not bad, but not with full dedication. Covey talks about how the main body of the team can be brought closer to the level of those "golden" 20% (and not only with the help of material incentives).
• Confidence crisis … It is during difficult times that employees lose confidence in their company. A low level of trust slows down all processes and increases costs. That is why in times of turmoil the economy slows down, the movement of your money slows down. Winning companies are confronting the crisis by actively and deliberately building trust with greater transparency than ever before. They also act quickly.
• Loss of focus … You have fewer resources, fewer people, and more clutter. People try to do the job for two or three. Such an employee is less focused than one who does one job. As a result, the chance that he will perform at least one task well is several times less. In order to beat the competition, you need to do less than they do. In other words, you need to do more of what really matters to your customers and less of what they don't need.

Focus on your customers and lead your employees as if their lives depend on your success. Warren Buffett.

All-pervading fear … The economic crisis leads to a psychological crisis. People are afraid. They are afraid of losing their jobs, retirement savings and even their homes. This all affects the work being done. Here you need to go back to the origins, namely the mission. With a clear, well-defined mission, people can transform their anxiety into action and productivity.

In his book, Covey talks not so much about the personal qualities of a leader, but about the practice of managing employees, about competent goal-setting and the technique of executing that very great strategy … "Rules of Effective Leadership" - a book about how to get more results with fewer resources, how to achieve a lot without giving more time to work than necessary.

This book is perfect for small and medium-sized business leaders. I do not include big business here, since it takes a lot of time and desire to agree on any strategies in large companies. In times of crisis, this time is simply not there. Everything is decided for you, if you are not "top".:)

The Rules for Effective Leadership by Stephen Covey