,Contents
FOREWORD BY STEPHEN M. R. COVEY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
PART ONE
Transformational Leadership
CHAPTER 1 Be True to Character
CHAPTER 2 Lead with a Vision
CHAPTER 3 Manage with a Plan
CHAPTER 4 Prioritize Your Time
PART TWO
Transformational Teams and Relationships
CHAPTER 5 Live the Golden Rule in Business and in Life
CHAPTER 6 Build and Maintain Trust
CHAPTER 7 Be an Effective Communicator
CHAPTER 8 Innovate Through Imagination
PART THREE
Transformational Living
CHAPTER 9 Be Accountable
CHAPTER 10 Apply the Power of Knowledge
CHAPTER 11 Live in Peace and Balance
CHAPTER 12 Never Give Up!
REFERENCES
,INDEX
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Foreword
S ome books stand out like a beacon in a storm. Such books help you realize that as you focus
on the things that you can control, you emerge a stronger and more capable person, you develop
stronger and healthier relationships, and you can create a higher-trust culture of excellence in your
organization. Such books can also be powerful catalysts for helping you make major breakthroughs
in your effectiveness and in reaching your fullest potential, whether individually or as a team.
Becoming Your Best is just such a book.
I’ve found that the 12 principles taught in this wonderful book are crucial to the success of any
leader, in any organization and in any industry. Not only that, but these are the very same principles
that lead to being a successful parent and developing long-lasting relationships that withstand the
storms of life. In an increasingly low-trust world, more than ever before, we need principle-
centered individuals who know how to build enduring relationships and who demonstrate strong
leadership capabilities—whether in leading themselves or in leading others. Becoming Your
Best will help you become one of these people.
I have known and watched Steven Shallenberger for more than 30 years. He is someone who
has been “in the arena”—that is, he’s a doer and a practitioner. He has built and run multiple
businesses, and he has led numerous organizations and thousands of people. Some of the best
experiences of my life were when he and I worked side by side for several years at the Covey
Leadership Center, helping to build that organization around the world. Along the way, I’ve
witnessed his leadership up close and personal, and I’ve emerged from all these many experiences
with this clear conviction: Steve is as good a person as I have known. He is who you hope he is.
He models the principles that he teaches here. He’s a principle-centered individual who has
touched tens of thousands of lives for good in many different companies and industries. In other
words, he practices what he teaches—he puts to work in his own life the principles he espouses
here.
There are many reasons that I love this book. Let me share three of them.
, First, this book focuses on universal and timeless principles. Principles, as contrasted with
practices, apply and work across countries, cultures, and situations. As a result, this is not a flavor-
of-the-month type of book. It contains proven, time-tested principles for how to achieve your
fullest potential, how to create innovative and imaginative solutions, and how to find peace and
balance in a chaotic and turbulent world. I’ve personally seen the power of the principles that Steve
teaches as I’ve traveled and met with hundreds of organizations in more than 40 countries over the
last several years. In my book The Speed of Trust, I discuss the importance of specific actions—
behaviors—that are based on principles and that lead to high-trust relationships. I’ve witnessed
firsthand how the principles discussed in Becoming Your Best directly contribute to high-trust
relationships and how that foundation of trust ultimately defines successful people and
organizations.
Second, consistent with Steve’s being a practitioner, this book is intensely practical. It deals
with opportunities, challenges, and threats at the street level. It is not a hypothetical book; rather,
it is a book that is full of tools and inspirational examples of how to work through real-life
situations as you make your good better and your better best. This approach takes us
from knowing into doing. As the saying goes, “To know and not to do is not to know.” The
pragmatic richness of this engaging book takes us from mere knowing and gives us a path into real
doing—into deep application.
Third, this book inspires. It is simultaneously inspirational and aspirational. I am deeply
impressed with Steve’s approach because he reminds us that the best still lies in front of us—
individually, for a family, and for a business—and that each of us can achieve the best that is
within us. Becoming Your Best teaches us how to recognize and think through the obstacles that
prevent us from realizing our dreams, hopes, and desires. It clearly shows us how to turn those
obstacles into a proactive plan for achieving a sustainable positive result. Applying the principles
in this book not only gives us hope, but will lead to the realization of our hopes.
Put another way, Becoming Your Best gives us a new lens, an entirely new way of seeing and
thinking that can change our lives and our organizations in a positive way. It is a book of
possibilities and hope for all, regardless of age, nationality, or circumstances. It is a book of
encouragement, vision, and solutions.
Regardless of your title or position—whether you are a president, parent, coach,
leader/manager, administrator, technician, mechanic, professional, farmer, civil servant, soldier,
teacher, team member, employee, or leader of a country—Becoming Your Best will inspire you
and lead you to greater heights.
Steve has been a great friend, mentor, and trusted advisor to me for more than 30 years. As I
travel and conduct my work around the world, I’ve personally seen how the principles that he
illuminates in this insightful book have had a profound impact on people and organizations. Those
who make these principles a part of their lives and culture tend to rise to the top. Those who violate
these principles tend to break down—and this typically leads to failure.
I highly recommend this book to people, leaders, and organizations everywhere. The path to
becoming your best is always a journey, not just a destination. And the key is to enjoy the journey
FOREWORD BY STEPHEN M. R. COVEY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
PART ONE
Transformational Leadership
CHAPTER 1 Be True to Character
CHAPTER 2 Lead with a Vision
CHAPTER 3 Manage with a Plan
CHAPTER 4 Prioritize Your Time
PART TWO
Transformational Teams and Relationships
CHAPTER 5 Live the Golden Rule in Business and in Life
CHAPTER 6 Build and Maintain Trust
CHAPTER 7 Be an Effective Communicator
CHAPTER 8 Innovate Through Imagination
PART THREE
Transformational Living
CHAPTER 9 Be Accountable
CHAPTER 10 Apply the Power of Knowledge
CHAPTER 11 Live in Peace and Balance
CHAPTER 12 Never Give Up!
REFERENCES
,INDEX
table of contents
search
Settings
queue
back
Support
Sign Out
Foreword
S ome books stand out like a beacon in a storm. Such books help you realize that as you focus
on the things that you can control, you emerge a stronger and more capable person, you develop
stronger and healthier relationships, and you can create a higher-trust culture of excellence in your
organization. Such books can also be powerful catalysts for helping you make major breakthroughs
in your effectiveness and in reaching your fullest potential, whether individually or as a team.
Becoming Your Best is just such a book.
I’ve found that the 12 principles taught in this wonderful book are crucial to the success of any
leader, in any organization and in any industry. Not only that, but these are the very same principles
that lead to being a successful parent and developing long-lasting relationships that withstand the
storms of life. In an increasingly low-trust world, more than ever before, we need principle-
centered individuals who know how to build enduring relationships and who demonstrate strong
leadership capabilities—whether in leading themselves or in leading others. Becoming Your
Best will help you become one of these people.
I have known and watched Steven Shallenberger for more than 30 years. He is someone who
has been “in the arena”—that is, he’s a doer and a practitioner. He has built and run multiple
businesses, and he has led numerous organizations and thousands of people. Some of the best
experiences of my life were when he and I worked side by side for several years at the Covey
Leadership Center, helping to build that organization around the world. Along the way, I’ve
witnessed his leadership up close and personal, and I’ve emerged from all these many experiences
with this clear conviction: Steve is as good a person as I have known. He is who you hope he is.
He models the principles that he teaches here. He’s a principle-centered individual who has
touched tens of thousands of lives for good in many different companies and industries. In other
words, he practices what he teaches—he puts to work in his own life the principles he espouses
here.
There are many reasons that I love this book. Let me share three of them.
, First, this book focuses on universal and timeless principles. Principles, as contrasted with
practices, apply and work across countries, cultures, and situations. As a result, this is not a flavor-
of-the-month type of book. It contains proven, time-tested principles for how to achieve your
fullest potential, how to create innovative and imaginative solutions, and how to find peace and
balance in a chaotic and turbulent world. I’ve personally seen the power of the principles that Steve
teaches as I’ve traveled and met with hundreds of organizations in more than 40 countries over the
last several years. In my book The Speed of Trust, I discuss the importance of specific actions—
behaviors—that are based on principles and that lead to high-trust relationships. I’ve witnessed
firsthand how the principles discussed in Becoming Your Best directly contribute to high-trust
relationships and how that foundation of trust ultimately defines successful people and
organizations.
Second, consistent with Steve’s being a practitioner, this book is intensely practical. It deals
with opportunities, challenges, and threats at the street level. It is not a hypothetical book; rather,
it is a book that is full of tools and inspirational examples of how to work through real-life
situations as you make your good better and your better best. This approach takes us
from knowing into doing. As the saying goes, “To know and not to do is not to know.” The
pragmatic richness of this engaging book takes us from mere knowing and gives us a path into real
doing—into deep application.
Third, this book inspires. It is simultaneously inspirational and aspirational. I am deeply
impressed with Steve’s approach because he reminds us that the best still lies in front of us—
individually, for a family, and for a business—and that each of us can achieve the best that is
within us. Becoming Your Best teaches us how to recognize and think through the obstacles that
prevent us from realizing our dreams, hopes, and desires. It clearly shows us how to turn those
obstacles into a proactive plan for achieving a sustainable positive result. Applying the principles
in this book not only gives us hope, but will lead to the realization of our hopes.
Put another way, Becoming Your Best gives us a new lens, an entirely new way of seeing and
thinking that can change our lives and our organizations in a positive way. It is a book of
possibilities and hope for all, regardless of age, nationality, or circumstances. It is a book of
encouragement, vision, and solutions.
Regardless of your title or position—whether you are a president, parent, coach,
leader/manager, administrator, technician, mechanic, professional, farmer, civil servant, soldier,
teacher, team member, employee, or leader of a country—Becoming Your Best will inspire you
and lead you to greater heights.
Steve has been a great friend, mentor, and trusted advisor to me for more than 30 years. As I
travel and conduct my work around the world, I’ve personally seen how the principles that he
illuminates in this insightful book have had a profound impact on people and organizations. Those
who make these principles a part of their lives and culture tend to rise to the top. Those who violate
these principles tend to break down—and this typically leads to failure.
I highly recommend this book to people, leaders, and organizations everywhere. The path to
becoming your best is always a journey, not just a destination. And the key is to enjoy the journey
