The power of habit—defined as a repeated behavior that tends to occur unconsciously—has long been a topic of interest to me, and even more so now that I am reading "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business," by Charles Duhigg. The book offers a fascinating look at habit formation and change in settings from boardrooms to the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous to the sidelines of the NFL.
In a chapter about "the power of a crisis," Mr. Duhigg talks about how among companies and institutions change is generally possible "only once a sense of crisis takes hold."
And, company leaders know this, too. In fact, they capitalize on this state.
Mr. Duhigg noted that "good leaders seize crises to remake organizational habits."
On a personal level, being in a tough spot provides an opportunity for change and growth—and the possibility of creating new "positive" habits. While it feels hard to establish new habits, it's not impossible. In the end, it goes back to the process of repetition, just the way the original habits were formed.
Mr. Duhigg noted that "good leaders seize crises to remake organizational habits."
On a personal level, being in a tough spot provides an opportunity for change and growth—and the possibility of creating new "positive" habits. While it feels hard to establish new habits, it's not impossible. In the end, it goes back to the process of repetition, just the way the original habits were formed.
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