It is impossible to overestimate the degree of insignificance that whatsoever

I love this concept, although it certainly sounds a bit exaggerated. As the great American psychologist and philosopher William James, the art of being wise - is "the art to know what can be ignored." Insignificant little things, minor things devour our time. Too many people live for the decoys.

Anthony Campolo once told me about an interesting case study. At fifty elderly people over the age of ninety-five years, was asked: "If you could start life over again, what would you have done differently? '. The researchers received a variety of answers, but most often repeated three of them:

■ If you could start all over again, I would have to think more.

■ If you could start all over again, I would take more risks.

■ If you could start all over again, I would do more things, the fruits of which would be living after my death.

Young talented cellist asked about the secret of her success. "In a planned neglect", - she said, and explained: "When I was in school, I had a lot of responsibilities, and all took time. After breakfast, I went to my room, made ​​the bed, tidying, sweeping the floor and did a great many other things, and only then picked up a cello.But I noticed that my skill is not growing as fast as I expected, and therefore decided to change things in places: first music lesson, and only then - household chores. Sitting down at the piano, I purposefully forgot about untidy room and everything else. It is in the "planned neglect", as I believe, is the secret of my success. "*

* R. Earl Allen, Let It Begin In Me (Nashville, Broadman Press, 1985).

 

Good - the enemy of the best

When forced to choose between good and bad, most people can easily make the right choice. And if you have to choose between good and good? What if both options perfectly correspond to the "three whales" of our work - requirements, impact and satisfaction?

 

How to choose between good and good?

■ Ask your supervisor or co-workers that they would prefer.

■ Can someone else to deal with one of the alternatives? If so, then he is working on it, and you take on the second option - to deal with that can handle you and only you.

■ Which of the two options would be more useful to the consumer of your product, your client or customer? How often do we go like a shopkeeper, so anxious restoring order and maintaining the purity of his store permanently closed for "sanitary hour?" But we are keeping your "store" is not to put things in it purity, and for buyers!

■ Make a decision based on the organization's objectives.

Lighthouse standing on a rocky seashore, once a month brought kerosene lamp (it was in the old days). The caretaker was from a neighboring village, so it is often visited by friends and acquaintances. Late one night he knocked on the door neighbor and asked for a little bit of kerosene - melt furnace to heat your children.

On another day, my father came and asked for a little kerosene lamp. Then came an old friend and also asked for a little kerosene. Since all who asked were quite good reasons, the superintendent refused to anyone. But stocks of kerosene melted quickly, and once the lighthouse is off.

That night, several ships crashed against the rocky shore, their sailors drowned in rough seas. At trial, the caretaker sincerely repented and was sorry for what he did, but the answer was, "You were given kerosene for one single purpose - to beacon lights burned!".

 

You can not have everything

Each time, going to the store with his son, I tell him, "You can not have everything." Like many people, my son always have to get rid of unnecessary things. Success is 95 percent consists of a solid knowledge of exactly what you need. Many years ago, I read these words of William Hinson:

Anyone who is committed to a single goal,

May hope that the time to reach it.

But the one who wants everything at once,

Only reap what he has sown -

Vintage vain regrets and remorse.

Group of climbers preparing to climb Mount Blanc in the French Alps. The evening before the ascent, talking with climbers, the local guide said: "This is a difficult route. To rise to the top, each of you should carry only equipment, without which it is impossible ascent. All the excess will have to leave the camp. "

One of the climbers, a young Englishman, decided to go their own way. He came out of the tent with a huge backpack, in which lay a heavy blanket, a large piece of cheese, a bottle of wine and cameras with interchangeable lenses (and two cameras hanging from an Englishman at the neck). "Take only what is needed most - said the conductor. - With such a burden you do not climb the mountain. "

But the Englishman was a stubborn man, and he decided to have his own. He went out first and went to the mountain alone, trying to prove that yet come. Behind him came the whole group together with a guide. In backpacks climbers were only the most necessary things.

On the way to the beginning climbers saw a heavy blanket, lying in the snow, and then - a piece of cheese, then - the lonely stood a bottle of wine, then - interchangeable lenses. At the top they were met by a stubborn Englishman. He still had the sense to take out of the bag all the superfluous and unnecessary.

 

Excess cases paralyzes

Each of us must have had at least one day while looking at a work table filled with things not done, lift up the phone and look at the study door that opens to let the next visitor. Remember what a strong sense of helplessness covered you in this moment?

William Hinson tells how trained young, not yet trained lions. Trainer, entering the cell, necessarily takes a chair. Of course, it also has a whip, and even a gun, but still important, Hinson assured - it's a chair. The trainer holds a chair at the back, legs turning to face the lion. The animal is trying to focus his eyes on all four legs of the chair right away, but his attention is scattered, and it becomes a "paralyzed", almost hand - it will weaken. (We now have a good reason to treat with compassion for circus lions!)

One day in my office came Cheryl, one of our best employees. She looked terribly exhausted. It turned out that Cheryl overworked, its list of urgent matters has grown to enormous proportions. I asked Cheryl to write down all their duties, and then we sat down and placed them in order of importance.

I still remember the expression on the face of tremendous relief Cheryl when she realized that there was no point as to overload yourself.

If you're overworked, please provide all of its obligations on a separate sheet of paper. From the list of ready to go to his superior that he said the most important of your responsibilities.

At the end of each month I make a plan for the next month, immediately setting priorities. Arranging things planned in order of importance and urgency, I ask my secretary Barbara up calendar of events for the next month. If something is classified as "High importance / high urgency," I tell Barbara and she puts this event in the first place.

All of these leaders have learned to say "no" to good to say "yes" to the best.

 

When minor things require us too much, there are big problems

Robert J. McCain said: "Most of the failures to achieve important goals due to the fact that we spend too much time doing minor things in the first place."

A few years ago in the press have published articles about the mass deaths of whales. When hunting for sardine shoal, three whales entered the shallow bay and killed, and not finding out in the open ocean. "So the little fish was the cause of death of marine giants. They found a cruel death, chasing a small target, sending a huge effect on the non-essential stuff "- wrote about Frederick Harris *.

How often do we fall into the trap of little things found in abundance in our life's journey! The disaster passenger airliner "Eastern Airlines "in Florida - a tragic example of the on-

* William H. Cock. Success, Motivation and the Scripture (Nashvill e, Broadman Press, 1974).

how dangerous it can be too much attention to detail. Airplane flying flight 401 New York-Miami flew to their destination and began landing approach. At this point, the pilots found that did not fire lighting the landing gear. The aircraft went on the second run, making a wide circle above swampy lowlands, and the pilots at the time were trying to determine whether the defective chassis or just a light bulb in the dashboard. Flight engineer tried to remove the bulb, but she did not give in, and he came to the aid of the other crew members. Battling with the light bulb, the pilots did not notice that the plane began to lose altitude. Airliner fell into the swamp, killing dozens of people - and all because of the fact that experienced pilots threw all his energy to the bulb cost of seventy-five cents!

 

Deadlines and urgent things are forcing us to set priorities

Think of one of the laws of Parkinson: If you need to write only one letter, then it will take a whole day writing. If you need to write a twenty-pi catfish, you write them in one day.

When we have time to do the most? Of course, the last working week before the holiday! Why can not we always work the way this week - to make decisions, to restore order on the desktop, respond to emails and phone calls?

Under normal circumstances, we are working productively (doing business as necessary). But when pressed for time, we start to work effectively (doing the necessary things). Productivity - the basis of survival, efficiency - the basis for success.

Night April 14, 1912 ocean liner "Titanic" collided in the Atlantic Ocean with an iceberg and sank. Among the memories of the survivors of one of the most interesting - the story of a woman that has found a place in the lifeboat. She asked for permission to run to his cabin for a very important thing and got three minutes. She ran down the hallway, jumping over dropped by in a hurry money and precious stones, broke into his cabin, and not paying attention to their own jewelry, grabbed three oranges and ran back before he could take his seat in the boat.

Suggest you this woman a few days ago to exchange even the smallest of its diamonds on a box of oranges, she would look at you like crazy. But things suddenly and dramatically changed the whole value system on board the ship, and what used to be unimportant, it has become more important than anything else.

 

How often do we find out too late that for us is really important

One family, tired of the hustle and bustle, decided to move to the countryside. The family bought the ranch and left town, deciding to breed cattle. A month later, on a visit to friends settlers arrived and asked what the name of the new ranch.

- I like to call it "Flying" wife "Susie", the eldest son - "Bummer", Jr. - "Merry", - said the head of the family. - In the end we came to a compromise and named our ranch "Flying lazy fun Susie."

- Yes, but where are your cows? - Asked friends.

- We do not have cows, - came the reply. - Died while we were looking for a name!

Someone said, "The baby is born with clenched fists, the old man leaves this world with open palms. Life has its attitude to the things that seemed so important to us. "

In January 1984, Paul Tsongas, Senator of Massachusetts, said he wanted to leave his post and will not be re-elected for a second term. The political career of self-Tsonga was on the rise, he was very popular and had a good chance of re-election, in fact, his name was mentioned as a possible candidate for president or vice-president of the United States.

The fact that a few weeks before the said declaration at Tsongas found oncological disease lymphatic system. It is possible that the disease is not very much would have affected the senator's political activities and even may not be shortened his life. But due to illness, he realized that the mortal, and that means - do not have time to do everything that we would like.

Hence, the remaining time he has to devote to what he wants most of all, from what would not mind for anything in the world - to be with his family, to see grow up and become adults children. The opportunity to be together with your loved ones, he would not change any of the legislative activity, or even the possibility to leave your name in the history books.

Shortly after the publication of his statement Tsongas received a note from a close friend with words of approval: "No one ever said on his deathbed:" What a pity that I paid so little time to his business. "

 

 

Chapter Three

An important part of leadership:

INTEGRITY OF THE PERSON

Dictionary explains the meaning of the elephant "one-piece" (when it comes to the individual) as "having an inner unity, the unity of different character traits." The integrity of the person means that a person's words do not disagree with his deeds, that he is what it is, where and with whomever he may be.

It is sad that in our time the integrity of the person becomes scarce. In a world where all the pleasures of chasing and running to success, down dale and not looking at the ground, the moral demands often suffer shipwreck.

When completing an application for employment, the applicant had to answer the question:

"Have you ever been arrested?". An applicant answered "No". The next question was a continuation of the previous one: "What is the reason." Not realizing that he does not have to answer this question (he referred only to those who have been arrested), "honest but naive" applicant wrote: "I think because I was never caught."

In one of the cartoons, Jeff Danziger says the president of the administrative board, "Gentlemen, this year our main trick is honesty." "Brilliant!" - Exclaims one of the vice-presidents. "But how risky!" - Adds a second.

On the other cartoon, published in the "New Yorker ", two clean-shaven prisoners talking to each other. "Actually, I always thought that our level of corruption in the range of social norms," ​​- says one of them, referring to the neighbor on the camera.

Not a single day that we have not heard about any scandal - the White House, the Pentagon and the U.S. Congress, on sports fields, churches and even in kindergarten! And in all cases, it can be said that the blame for the lack of integrity of the personality of the people who have fallen on page scandalous chronicle.

Whole person means that a person does not "serve two masters" (that would be duplicity), and does not pretend (that would be hypocrisy.) Whole person is manifested in the directness, honesty and sincerity. Whole personality has nothing to hide and nothing to fear. The life of a man - an open book. "The Man with the whole person has set itself a system of values ​​by which he evaluates all the events of your life," - said V. Gilbert Beers.

The integrity of the individual - it's not what we do, but who we are. That's who we are, in the end determines what we do. Our value system is inextricably linked to our personality, it can not be separated from us, without prejudice to the individual. A navigation system to guide us on the path of life. It sets priorities and measures that should be taken, and that - to drop.

Within each of us there is a collision of conflicting desires. Nobody, not even the most "spiritual" people, unable to avoid the collision. The integrity of the individual determines the winner in this war desires. Every day we are faced with situations where we have to choose between "want" and "need." The integrity of the person creating the prerequisites for the proper selection in each such case, determines our behavior in a conflict situation. The integrity of the individual brings to our words, thoughts and actions into a single entity, so that no word, no thought, no deeds will never disagree with each other.

The integrity of the person strengthens our inner sense of life satisfaction. She would never allow our mouth defile our hearts. She - arbitrator by which our beliefs are reflected in their actions. And then never - in times of prosperity or in times of disaster - there will be no distinction between the man how we appear to other people, and that what we really are, what we know of the family. The integrity of the person determines what we will - regardless of any circumstances, environment or location.

But the integrity of the individual - not just the choice of arbitrator between the warring desires. She - the line of demarcation between a happy person and restless, forked soul. It gives us the freedom to be themselves, regardless of the circumstances.

"The main key to greatness - like Socrates - really be what we seem." How often do we try to "act like a human," has not become fully human in nature! In order to enjoy the confidence of the people, a leader must be himself, becoming a composer of his life. The good life - like a good song, in which the music is inseparable from the words.

This is what happens when my words with deeds.

I tell subordinates: "Come to work on time."

I come to work on time.

Subordinates will come to work on time.

I tell subordinates: "Be positive outlook on the world."

I develop a positive attitude toward the world.

Subordinates will exhibit a positive attitude toward the world.

I tell subordinates: "The most important thing - the interests of the customers."

I put clients' interests first.

Subordinates will put the interests of clients first.

But what happens when I say one thing and do another:

I tell subordinates: "Come to work on time."

I'm late for work.

One of his subordinates will come in time, others will be late.

I tell subordinates: "Be positive outlook on the world."

I develop a negative attitude toward the world.

Some of the slave will be set positively, others - no.

I tell subordinates: "The most important thing - the interests of the customers."

I put myself in the first place.

One of his subordinates will put first the interests of customers, others - their interests.

Eighty-five percent of the information comes to us through the eyes, 10 - through the organs of hearing, and only 1 percent - over the other senses. The more specific actions leaders meet to hear from him words, the greater the trust of followers to the leader. Person understands what he hears, and believes what he sees!

Too often we try to motivate people with small tricks and gimmicks. But people expect from you at all appeals and slogans, and a role model, what is you and your actions.

 

YOU DESERVE A TRUST?

The greater the confidence you deserve, the more people can rely on you, the more they give you the right to have an impact on their lives. And vice versa: the less people trust you, the less they rely on you, the sooner you will lose influence.

At the seminars, lectures and conferences, I often hear the same question from the leaders and managers, "Can you tell me how you can make changes in the activities of my organization? . " Questions like I always say this: "My goal - to inspire change you personally. If it succeeds, it will change your whole organization. " Yet, time and again I repeat: the ups and downs of your organization depends on leadership. The integrity of the individual - that's the secret of ups without falling. Let us now consider the importance of integrity leader's personality in detail.