“Habits have tremendous gravity pull" wrote Dr. Covey, author of the timeless book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Breaking a bad habit is very hard. The "gravity pull" of bad habits is the reason why most New Year’s resolutions don't last past January. It takes great effort to develop new habits, especially because they also require you to move away from bad habits.
The good news is that the "gravity pull" works both ways. The less you do of any habit, the less it will pull you. The more you do of a habit, the more it will pull you.
As Charles Duhigg wrote in his best seller book The Power of Habits, "...change might not be fast and isn't always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped."
Now let's get back to Dr. Stephen Covey and his brilliant analogy on gravity. "The gravity pull of some of our habits may currently be keeping us from going where we want to go...it is a powerful force, and if we use it effectively, we can use the gravity pull of habit to create the cohesiveness and order necessary to establish effectiveness in our lives."
The discussion about the 7 Habits of Great GB Leaders has less to do with replacing bad habits with good habits, and more to do with replacing good habits with habits of greatness. This is a crucial distinction because of our natural tendency to settle for less than our true potential.
From Good To Great
Gracie Barra may have become a gigantic global community, but the strength of our team comes from each individual (just as the power of each comes from the team).
As Jim Collins has written in his seminal book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap While Others Don't, "Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life."
Habit 1: Be On A Mission.
Great GB Leaders are on a mission. They have a clear internal purpose that propels them to seek greatness, but they also have very clear goals of what they are trying to accomplish. Their ambition is not personal, and their goals are not selfish. Great GB Leaders have a burning desire to bring other people on their journey and lift them up in the process of pursuing a goal that everyone can benefit from.
Habit 2: Be Energized.
Great GB Leaders are energized. They understand that the level of mental and physical energy they have comes from aligning their goals with their purpose, but it also comes from what they eat or drink. How much they sleep and exercise. Great GB Leaders carefully manage these variables to create high levels of physical and mental energy to accomplish the mission.
Habit 3: Show Up — No Matter What.
Great GB Leaders show up — no matter what. They never let the circumstances become an excuse for not getting the job done. Consistency is their mantra. They are incredibly focused on what needs to get done to accomplish the mission. They avoid distractions and have no problem saying no to pressing matters which may seem urgent but are not crucial for the mission.
Habit 4: Always Be Learning.
Great GB Leaders are always learning. They show great appreciation to the input and opinions of others because they consistently assume other people may know something they don't. Moreover, GB Leaders are knowledge seekers and have the confidence to learn anything they need to accomplish the mission.
Habit 5: Be A Champion Of the Win Or Learn Philosophy
Great GB Leaders fail forward. They are champions of the win or learn philosophy. They won't cry over a shortcoming, but objectively and relentlessly look for the opportunity to learn a lesson. A temporary loss does not defeat Great GB Leaders. They meet struggles with enthusiasm, determination, and responsibility.
Habit 6: Create Synergies
Great GB Leaders are always working align team and individual. They make sure goals and processes are mutually beneficial and create synergies between the team’s goals and individual goals. GB Leaders operate on the intersect of individual ambition and the team's mission making great effort to reward individuals for their contributions towards the team's success while making sure the individual's pursuit of his/her best interests does not collide with the goals of the team.
Habit 7: Empower People.
Great GB Leaders empower people. They make time to teach, mentor, and guide people around them. They trust and are trusted. Great GB Leaders offer careful feedback and clear expectations. They are generous and operate with an abundant mindset. They do a great job instilling a sense of ownership for the mission on all people who are part of it.
The 7 Habits of Great GB Leaders offer a great model for personal and professional development to anyone who plays a leadership role at Gracie Barra. Senior students, assistant instructors, Professors, school owners, and staff can use it not only for self-evaluation but also a guide for decision making.