RISE TO GREATNESS
Beyond Effectiveness
It is clear every leader and every organization strives for effectiveness. Yet, effectiveness alone is no longer enough to excel in today’s challenging economic climate. In his latest book, The 8th Habit, Stephen Covey states, “Surviving, thriving, excelling and leading in this new reality will require us to build on and reach beyond effectiveness….the call and need of a new era is for greatness.” So, what does it take to be great? Ask this question of others and you are likely to receive a variety of responses. However, you may find “hard work” is a common denominator among the responses.
In a Fortune Magazine article, “Secrets of Greatness,” the key to achieving greatness is revealed as “...an enormous amount of hard work over many years. And not just any hard work, work of a particular type that's demanding.” The article cites Warren Buffett as an example of a hard worker who spends hours studying financial statements of potential investment targets. The key to performing such hard work is motivation—motivation by someone or something.
Bringing Greatness to the Culture
If you know what motivates you, the question then becomes how can you motivate others. The answer lies in creating passion for your vision. As Antoine de Saint-Exupery once explained, "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." Covey calls this powerful type of motivation “mental and emotional identification.” It is when someone admires a leader so much that s/he buys deeply into that person’s vision even though s/he was not involved in creating the vision. Martin Luther King, Jr. is an example of such a leader. He understood that sharing his vision with others was as important as getting others to believe in that vision and to act on it. In addition, while his goal was equality and freedom rather than greatness, he too achieved greatness through hard work.
In his quest for freedom, Dr. King inspired others to find their voices—a key step to greatness and one that Stephen Covey addresses in The 8th Habit. Covey explains that the organizations that enable a critical mass of people and teams to express their full voices are the ones that will achieve next-level breakthrough in productivity, innovation, and leadership in the marketplace and in society. In this month’s process, “Driving Leadership into The Culture,” you will learn how the synergistic effect of inspiring others to find their voices results in a breakthrough culture, a culture that is focused on leadership, alignment, teamwork, and results.
While cultural shifts are one of the most challenging undertakings of any organization, such a change is vital to creating breakthrough and greatness. The challenge presents itself when an entire organization, rather than just one person, requires change in order to achieve organizational goals and move in the direction of the vision. Through Rapport’s trainings and resources, such as the “Creating a Breakthrough Culture” guide, Rapport teaches clients how to overcome this challenge and achieve organizational greatness.
Important Takeaways
A rise to greatness involves many elements including hard work and the motivating of others. Establish a powerful vision and passionately motivate others to buy into and act on that vision. Inspire others to find their voices; this component is paramount in today’s marketplace and in society because everyone yearns to find his/her own voice, and when that happens, breakthrough occurs. Create a cultural shift to align the team with the organization’s vision; this factor is also essential to achieving next-level breakthrough.
For some, greatness may have a different meaning. According to William Arthur Ward, “Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.” Remember, each of us is called to greatness. It is you who must decide whether you will have a significant impact on someone else, your organization, or the world!
Sources:
Covey, S.R. The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness
Fortune Magazine: “Secrets of Greatness: What it Takes to Be Great”
