“Let’s work together to produce alternative solutions to our differences that we both recognize are better than the ones either you or I produced initially.”
—Stephen Covey, 20th Century American author, educator, and speaker
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is one of my favorite books. I have read and re-read it many times. Over the years, I’ve discovered its wisdom and brilliance goes deeper and becomes even more relevant.
Habit Number Six, SYNERGIZE, points to the combining or coordination of the activities of two or more agents to produce a joint effect greater than the sum of their separate parts.
Where have you seen examples of synergy in your communities during this past year?
Where have you seen examples of the opposite, where groups appear to be divided or even at war with one another?
EXERCISE:
Where, how, can, and will you choose to take a synergistic leadership role to bring people together to fulfill a worthy purpose?
By valuing our differences and recognizing they complement our own gaps in thinking and understanding, we can develop solutions that are far better than we can with our own solitary brain and thought process.