Author Stephen R. Covey offers a comprehensive, integrated, principle-centered method for resolving both personal and professional issues in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Through insightful observations and insightful stories, Covey lays out a methodical approach to living with justice, honesty, service, and human dignity, values that provide us the stability to adjust to change and the knowledge and ability to seize the chances it presents.
About Author
Stephen R. Covey is a renowned leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational consultant, and co-founder of FranklinCovey Co. He is the author of several international bestsellers, including The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which has sold over 20 million copies.
He was named one of TIME Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Americans. Dr. Covey holds the Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chair in Leadership at the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.
Review
First released in 1990, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change was revolutionary and has now sold over 10 million copies, making it a business bestseller.
This book serves as a guide for improving performance in all areas because Stephen Covey, a globally renowned leadership expert, understands that genuine success involves striking a balance between personal and professional competence. Both interpersonal and business issues are common sources of his stories.
Prior to implementing the seven habits, you must achieve what Covey refers to as a “paradigm shift”—a modification in your understanding and interpretation of how the world functions.
Covey guides you through this shift, which impacts your perceptions and behaviors in several areas, including time management, productivity, positive thinking, building your “proactive muscles” (the ability to act without waiting for permission), and much more.
This book is not a quick-tips-start-tomorrow kind. Because the ideas are occasionally complex, you should read this book carefully rather than quickly. You’ll likely have handwritten remarks or Post-it notes in each chapter by the time you’re done, and you’ll feel as though you attended a potent session by Covey. Joan Price
Summary
The 7 habits are simple: be proactive, focus on goals/results, prioritize, pursue win/win solutions, understand others, seek synergy and renew your whole person.
These are very new age, idealistic, human potential-type practices, but Covey crafts them within a framework of history, culture, and religion, making them more practical and approachable. The reader also gets power-packed advice on living a positive life:
- Focus inside-out; your character is essential; without it, no technique has value.
- In an existential world, you are completely responsible for your behavior. Between stimulus and response lies human potential. Be proactive. Don’t be a victim.
- Humans see the world through paradigms. Become self-aware and honor others.
- Life is not simple. Process and results matter. People and tasks matter. Economic and time efficiency do not trump personal relations and effectiveness.
- Carefully make and keep commitments. Everyone is watching.
- Use the urgent/important dimensions to drive time management choices. Say no.
- Personal growth is a journey that is never complete. Principles and habits merely help. Human potential is unlimited.
- Personal growth from dependent to independent to interdependent worldviews is critical.
- Life requires balance. The balance between the left and right brain is essential. Both the individual and the task are involved. Both short-term and long-term goals are involved. There are distinct paradigms and personalities involved. Competing roles.
- The good life requires a personal mission, vision, and values. Define yours. Use it to drive goals, priorities and tasks.
- A win-win approach is always possible and delivers superior results.
- Every single person matters. Treat them that way. Their feelings matter. They need to be respected, understood, and valued, and their trust needs to be earned.
- Invest in your emotional bank account with everyone who matters to you.
- Focus on your circle of influence while paying attention to your circle of concern.
- This is an incredible self-help book and an organizational development text.
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