Introduction

This paper gives a critical review of knowing when to doubt; developing a 200 pages article that was written by Mills Candice. In this article, the author tries to give an in-depth coverage of human traits and how it can be fruitfully used in the day-to-day interactions. In doing this, a lot of references will be made on Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Antonakis, J. et al., 2004). Here, Covey presents the work of his research in which he explores particular behaviors which determine individual’s competencies, interactions and leadership capabilities.

Discussion

Human being is a leader by nature. Despite this, not all people can make good and competent leaders. It is incumbent upon people to ensure that they act in a way which can put them in a better position of expressing control over others. As we all understand, it is not a good thing just to be a leader. However, it is good for leader to ensure that they plan well and do all that it takes to be overboard to stand a better chance of influencing others (McGrath, J. E. (2002).

In this regard, I would like to agree with Covey that this does not merely rely on the fact that one has a position, but on the basis that one possesses right and appropriate personal characters necessary for exercising authority over others (Howard, A. & Bray, D. W., 2008). As he argues, there should be a dear and progressive distinction between independence and dependence, meaning that it should be clearly demonstrated that an individual is capable of making personal decisions without the unnecessary influence of any other external force. It can only be possible for a person to freely interact with others if he can have a personal control over himself.

Being able to lead others requires a lot of commitments. It requires that a leader must demonstrate endurance and selflessness. The other important thing is focus. For a person to be able to succeed in whatever it does, it is paramount that they set up goals to achieve. However this should be realistically set in order to ensure that it can be accomplished with less constraint. In this case, there should be a self mastery and a proper understanding of oneself (Bass, B. M., 1990).

According to Covey, the most pragmatic part of this paradigm is progressivity, self discovery, and privatization. This implies that leadership competencies stem from self-awareness the understanding of one’s immediate surrounding and proper planning of activities in a more informed manner, Autonomy is not bad thing. If one gets time to sit down and makes a proper plan on how to transform himself, he will surely make a remarkable contribution to the society. However, this will particularly work if time is created for making informed decisions appropriate for solving any problem at hand (Bennis, W., 2009).

At the same time, it is significant to acknowledge the presence of other people. Even if Covey suggests that autonomy is paramount, interdependence precedes. In this scenario, one must accept that one lives in a society full of people, and they have different interests, world views and backgrounds. Hence, there should be the formulation of mutually beneficial solutions characterized by understanding, appreciation and tolerance (Hersey, P. & K.H. Blanchard, 2012).

I would like to agree with Mills for emphasizing the role of open mindedness and co-operation in offering remedial measures to the various problems affecting the society. His argument on the strength of positive teamwork holds water (Avolio, B. J. et al., 2010). No one can make any positive development as a lone ranger; there should be a change of attitude in order to ensure that people work as a united team for a common goal. Everyone should be mindful of whatever he does so as not to do anything contrary to the views of others. Such conflicts are not good because they do not have any benefit.

Since nobody lives in total isolation, it is incumbent upon all to ensure that they collaborate at all times in order to execute anything good for the benefit of the entire society (Adair, J., 2008). It is other people that a person can come up with ideas relevant to the content under which they are operating. Surely, being a leader is a multitasking experience that can not be done without a through dedication. As Mills argues, nothing can be achieved so far without involving other people. It is advisable to recognize the presence of others so as to closely work with them in carrying out any kind of activity which needs to be done.

Conclusively, I would like to agree with the ideas of both, Covey and Mills that self awareness and cooperation are the key pillars for any development. Everyone must accept that being self-driven is a good quality which if consciously applied in a logical and thoughtful manner, can imminently transform the society. Besides, a good leader should learn to listen to others, regardless of their social position. Unity is strength because it is an undisputed recipe to development.

References

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