What's Important: The Big Rocks!!!!

As part of my role, I spend a lot of time developing other leaders. As such, I have learnt a lot from Stephen Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey talks about Quadrant Two Leadership, where the focus is on doing the Important, non-urgent stuff. In doing so, we start to remove a lot of Quadrant One Leadership, the urgent and important stuff, typically crises and issues that have arisen. We like to talk about looking after the "Big Rocks".

Recently the Big Rocks scenario has really struck home. A leadership colleague had recently undertaken his health check, and his results had gone backwards since his last one. He bemoaned his new job location, which requires additional travel and puts him on a time squeeze. As such, looking after himself had become the missing bit. I noted to him, that Exercise and Diet was clearly Quadrant Two leadership. A conscious decision to do what is important and non-urgent, which will ultimately stave off a Quadrant One health crisis. He hadn't looked at his health in this way, and realised that Quadrant Two leadership would never work for him at work, unless he started to look after himself. Covey also talks about Sharpening the Saw, but that's another story for another time.

The other scenario has a more global aspect. I read headlines every day about health crisis, obesity epidemic etc etc. The spiraling cost of healthcare......This is all a Quadrant One Issue. Urgent crisis, we just seem to be treating the wrong end of the crisis. We aim to "fix" people after their lifestyle choices have made them sick. When I go shopping, I get annoyed about how we are bombarded with "healthy" messages from products that are clearly not healthy. So just maybe we need a little bit of Quadrant Two in terms of messages at the supermarket. For those "Fat-Free" lollies, the message could be "Fat Free- but will make you fat anyway". Maybe reduced fat products could say " 97% Fat Free, but TWICE as much sugar"

I believe that it is about time, the Government or whatever regulatory department, takes a stand on how food is marketed. I am not just talking kids food either. Many adults buy low-fat foods thinking they are doing the right thing..............and they still get fat. Market the foods correctly, educate people on what goes in their mouths, and maybe, JUST MAYBE, we can stop the escalating costs of healthcare, treating the fat and the obese and the lifestyle diseases they cause.

The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness: Miniature EditionFirst Things FirstThe 7 Habits Of Highly Effective TeensThe SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes EverythingThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families