Throughout time, humankind has relied on the evolution of thought and culture to establish more efficient societies, higher standards of living, and strong, meaningful values.
Stephen Covey, one of the world's leading consultants in relationships and organization and renowned author of "The 7 habits of Highly Effective People," challenged a group of 500 community leaders and residents Saturday to make Blaine County a model in taking our society to the next level. Covey addressed a "Who's Who" of the county during a conference called "Creating a Healthy Community," sponsored by the St. Luke's Center for Community Health at the Community Campus in Hailey.
In a thoughtful keynote address, Covey asked the crowd to work individually to become "agents of change" and cooperatively to establish a new, more positive set of values in our culture that creates "win-win" scenarios.
A change in society's system of mores and values will effect profound change in families, community leadership and, ultimately, broader cultures, Covey said. Strong families help establish strong communities that can serve as a model to other communities.
"When mores are sufficient, laws are unnecessary," he said. "When mores are insufficient, laws are unenforceable."
If a community's mores and norms are well-founded, Covey said, people can cooperate and reach a high level of "interdependence"—working together on a mission.
"You've got to make sure your values system is based on principles," he said.
Many organizations in our society, Covey suggested, are working on an "old paradigm," one that demands one group of people control another. By changing the paradigm in one segment of the Vancouver, Canada, police force—by trading control and intimidation for communication and cooperation on community projects—positive change ensued through all levels of the culture, Covey said.
Good leaders offer themselves up as servants to those they are trying to lead, Covey said.
"Leadership is a choice, not a position."
In discussing families, Covey said parents should help establish a family "mission statement" outlining primary goals. And, he said, avoid the "metastasizing cancers" that plague families and relationships: criticizing, complaining, comparing, competing, contending and cynicism.
"Make your spouse happy, not better," he said.
As for dealing with angry teenagers, "The moment there is any negative energy at all," he said, "say to yourself, 'I want them to win.'"
When viewing all competitive situations, Covey said, look to new ways of thought that might allow you and your competitor to become allies so you both prevail.
Covey's closing message was perhaps his most profound. He pointed to a small, auxiliary rudder used on gigantic ocean liners, called a trim tab, which in essence serves to guide a ship thousands of times its size.
He challenged the audience members to each become trim tabs, small agents of change that might make Blaine County a model for the West, possibly helping to "make this the finest hour for the community."
STEPHEN COVEY
