Book

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey

This book was first published in 1989 and, according to the latest version, has now sold over 40 million copies. It's a great book, but at almost 400 pages, it requires a significant investment of time to read. So, if you don't have time to read the book, we recommend watching this 7-minute video produced by Fight Mediocrity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktlTxC4QG8g

You're probably not going to pick up all the richness of the content in one watch, so we suggest watching it a few times and then reflecting on which habits – present or absent – seem most relevant right now. And maybe buy the book anyway, because there's some great stuff in there!

Exercise

Experiencing Emotional Intelligence

In his book Coaching for Performance, Sir John Whitmore includes a simple, yet effective exercise to illustrate the importance of emotional intelligence. He asks readers to remember a person from their childhood (not a parent, but perhaps a grandparent or a teacher) who they felt was really ‘on their side’ and that made them feel special. Then, asks that they think about what that person actually did to make them feel that way.

If you repeat this exercise, it’s likely that you will remember that they listened to you, they believed in you and in your potential, they probably challenged you, they almost certainly gave you time and attention. As a result, you probably felt special, valued, confident and supported.

Importantly, they probably weren’t following a checklist, they did these things because it seemed like the right thing to do. Assuming you agree, is this how you behave around the more junior people in your team?