The 8th Habit

The 8th Habit is about finding your voice and helping others discover their own, in order to thrive at work in the Information Age, where interdependence is more important than independence.

In order to help others find their voice, you first have to find your own, obviously. Stephen Covey says how fast you’ll be able to do that depends on how well you use the gifts you’ve been given at birth. There are many advantages we’re born with, just because we’re humans, but according to Stephen, the by far biggest one is this:

You are free to choose how you react to any and every situation in life.

Unlike plants, who can’t move, or animals, whose life is just a series of instinctual, knee-jerk reactions, we as humans get to choose our next action. We can’t control what happens to us. But we sure as hell can decide how we’ll react to it. So whether that next step is a step up or down is entirely up to you.

If someone treats you badly, be it your boss or a friend, if people try to peer pressure you into doing things, it is up to you to give in to it, to do something about it, or to walk away.

However, freedom of choice isn’t the only enabling factor in finding your voice. Covey also talks about the four kinds of intelligence:

Physical intelligence, which is your body’s ability to function mostly on autopilot, without conscious direction. Mental intelligence, what you’d call IQ. Emotional intelligence, which is about empathy and what’s sometimes called EQ. Spiritual intelligence, which is your own moral compass, your true north star, the thing that drives your life’s meaning.

Recognizing these powers you have and playing with how you use them is the first step towards finding and capitalizing on your unique powers at work. Then, it’s all about communicating them to others.

Communicating with others comes easiest when your relationship is built on trust. The more you trust in one another, the more things you’ll feel comfortable saying, the more you think about each other’s words and the more likely you are to accept them. Think about this in the concept of business, and you can easily see why trust is one of the most important things for CEOs to work on. It determines the speed with which you can execute and therefore, your company’s success overall. Covey says that trust is built in three ways: Stick to your word. If you promise something, follow through. 100% of the time. Not sure if you’ll make it? Then don’t promise it. Whatever comes out of your mouth, back it the f up, every time. Be nice.…