Introduction
Character matters and as leaders, strength of character is essential to our effectiveness as industry leaders. How we conduct ourselves both with our guests and within our own work-groups directly impacts our ability to lead. In Stephen Covey’s best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he defines character development as a personal journey. First, as an infant, we begin life completely and utterly dependent on others. Then, as we begin to grow, we progress from a level of dependency to independency, learning to weigh cause and effect and to make our own responsible decisions. For many, this personal journey ends with being independent. Covey, however, offers a third level on the journey—interdependence.
There are seven natural laws that can be applied to our own personal and professional growth. The first three habits affect our ability to function as independent human beings. The last four habits make us something greater. They take us from independent people to interdependent leaders. As a result, we become highly effective at leading our families, our communities, and our organizations. The diagram below shows how these can impact our leadership growth: