1. Principles are universal. Principles are everywhere. They are woven into the creation of the universe. We use principles in every aspect of our life. We may use principles correctly or incorrectly but we are all subject to principles.
The same principles apply to all. In the world of business the same principles apply to a large corporation as to a small non-profit. The same principles will grow a volunteer run organization or multi-level international business. The very same principles that empower a business are the same principles used by families, and are the same principles used by the Cub Scouts. Any place where two or more people are together the same universal principles apply. The success of an organization is dependant on the correct application of these same principles.
2. Principles are timeless. You don’t have to invent principles, they already exist. They have always existed. All you have to do is recognize principles and apply them correctly. Principles are not fads, they are facts. Every famous and useful business book in the world provides strategies based upon universal, timeless principles. A wise leader must learn to discern principles.
3. Principles are Not Age Biased.Principles are free for anyone at any age. A younger person can use principles without fully understanding the principle and learn from experience after the fact why the principle is so powerful. An inexperienced young person can correctly apply principles and become wise beyond their years.
4. Principles are infinite. Principles are so simple to learn, yet as we grow in understanding, principles grow with us. It takes on a more profound meaning and greater power.
A leader can never exhaust the power of a principle, there is always a limitless supply of increasing power as the application of the principle is refined and used more precisely. What this means to you is, if you have one employee or 1000 employees it takes different strategies but always the same principles.
5. Principles are binary. A principle is either true or false. Determining truth is usually a common sense answer.
The more principles you apply to your business the more freedom, ownership, productivity and profitability your business will experience. Principles are not rules to be enforced, they are truths that empower!
6. Lowest Common Denominator. Principles are always the lowest common denominator; the common sense answer, the self-evident answer.
Principles are often overlooked because everybody assumes the obvious cannot be the right answer. People tend to believe that since we are adults, the simple answers do not apply and we must develop complex strategies to solve common problems.
The reason leaders are challenged to find a simple solution, is because their hearts get in the way. Pain, defensiveness, and fear of losing something personal cloud one’s judgement and exasperate the problem. Principles are obvious, but can be hidden by bureaucracy and the hearts of leaders who do not want to make a personal change.
The most common and overwhelming challenge all leaders face in every field of business is the issue of employment. For a business, finding and hiring the right people should be a high priority. Non-profits are always looking for caring and altruistic volunteers. One of the most common reasons finding and managing people is a great challenge is due to a false dichotomy in the leader’s mind. Leaders tend to have their perspective in-versed when they consider their organization and the team of people involved.
7. Principles are inter-related. Principles are inter-related. Inter-relational means reciprocal relationship. All principles, physical as well as moral, are a two-way street. It takes more than one person. Consider Newton’s 3rd law of motion. “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
The power of principles is in the interaction between two or more people. This charact3eristic is so simple and obvious and yet the most important to understand. As a leader you must truly understand the inter-relationships between you and your followers. All your leadership skills must be built within the framework of inter-relationships.
There are always enough resources to apply principles.
Be encouraged! All principles are inter-relational and there are always enough resources to apply them. All you need to apply a principle correctly arre two or more people. It will always cost time to apply principles but it does not have to cost money.
8. Principles are FREE! There are no copyright laws on principles! There are no royalty fees for using principles! You cannot beat the return on investment with principles.
9. Principles Create Freedom & Safety. There is confusion about freedom which must be clarified. There is only one true freedom, but people believe there are two freedoms. The false freedom is freedom from responsibility. The only true freedom is freedom of responsibility.
There is only one true freedom and that is freedom of responsibilty. Freedom of responsibility gives the individual the freedom to choose. If an outside source dictates choice a person loses freedom. The more a person is truly free, the more responsibility to choose a person will have. True freedom and responsibility go hand in hand, they are connected. Every leadership book that speaks of leadership character always mentions self-discipline. One is to be self-disciplined to the correct application of principles. A leader is to be responsible. In order to be responsible a leader must be self-disciplined. The self-disciplined leader will have the freedom to lead others more effectively.
Freedom from responsibility does not actually exist, but people feel it exist. When a leader steps down from an organization, they are no longer responsible for that organization. They are free from responsibility. In truth no one is every truly free from being responsible. A person is always responsible for their choices, whether they are a leader of a company or a homeless person. A person can never be “free” from responsibility. On the contrary the more responsibility a person takes for their own actions the more freedom they can obtain.
There is a misunderstanding of freedom which causes much of the controversies when our government implements new laws. There is a side that fights for freedom from a responsibility in hope of escaping the consequences whether good or bad. There is a side that fights for freedom of responsibility and to retain the consequences whether good or bad.
Consider the power freedom of responsibility can bring to your organization. The #1 cry of most leaders is their employees don’t have the same heart and drive as they do. The followers don’t feel the ame ownership for the organization. The followers are not responsible for the outcome of the business. These people do their time and leave it behind. When the followers do not feel a responsibility for the outcome of the business and they do not see the impact of their contribution, there is no ownership. The followers “feel” free from responsibility.
A wise leader will design strategies into the organization that gives ownership/responsibility to the follower. Ownership is responsibility, and that creates freedom for the follower to produce greater results. The leader will create the sense of purpose in the organization. Each employee will know why they come to work today, and it will be for more than a paycheck. When the followers feel the sense of ownership/responsibility they will work harder simply because they are. Give your followers the freedom to be responsible and you will be able to glean out the irresponsible and build up the responsible. When freedom is created, safety is created.
Principles Create Safety
Principles applied correctly provide safety to the leader and the organization. Do you remember the feeling when someone questions what you are doing? That feeling of interrogation, that you are already found guilty and must defend yourself. Remember the feeling that you are on trial, and you are not even sure why? You are asked questions but not given the reason for the questions. Before we go on, it is important to note that if you interrogate your followers, you are practicing poor leadership. If you don’t like the way it feels neither do your followers.
As a leader, have you ever felt you are the number one target? Have you ever felt that you are standing out on a hill all alone with an angry mob ready to charge the hill? Many times the followers feel the same way. Do you feel as a leader you must “be the heavy,” knowing people may respond in-kind? Being “the heavy” can be un-motivating for both parties!
A follower will not take risks if they are punished for mistakes. If you want the heart of your follower to give their best, they need freedom of responsibility and the support of the leader.
It is hard to play the blame game when everyone is taking responsibility for the outcome. Principles create freedom of responsibility and the safety to take risks!
10. Principles are the Foundation of Wisdom. Wisdom is the correct application of principles. If you want to be a wise leader, hunt for principles and use them correctly. The path to wisdom has a simple focus, yet is profoundly deep and never ending.
