Six Ways to Take Charge of 2012

New
year, new outlook. Stephen Covey, one of the most prolific leadership
authors of our time, says there are six things you can do right now to
make 2012 your best year ever:

1. Be proactive.
   It’s more than just taking initiative. It means being responsible for
   your own life. Empower yourself to lead and spread your influence no
   matter what position you hold.
2. Sharpen the saw.
   Decide what’s truly important. Sharpen your saw early in the day by
   learning to say no to the unimportant and yes to the highly important
3. Seek to understand before seeking to be understood.
   It’s human nature to want to be understood, but when both parties are
   trying to be understood, neither party is listening. By making the
   investment to understand the other party, you can magically transform
   the course of your conversations.
4. Begin with the end in mind.
   Start today with an image of the end of your life as the frame of
   reference by which everything else is examined. With a clear idea of
   where you are going, examine everything in the context of what matters
   to you most.
5. Develop a vision mission statement.
   Get a deep sense of your life’s mission, purpose and value system, then
   establish your goals and a system of accountability that keeps you on
   track.
6. Think win-win.
   There is enough success for everyone, so don’t view another person’s success as success achieved at your expense or exclusion.