Stephen Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
(1989)
American expert in personal development and leadership (pictured right) who died in 2012.
See also...
Stephen Covey in the Management Gurus section.
Book summary
The seven principles for success are:
1. Be proactive
Accept responsibility for your life and do something to change it by:
- taking the initiative.
- focusing on what you can control (the Circle of Influence) and accept what you can't.
- not being negatively reactive (particularly blaming others).
- learning from your mistakes.
- principle-centredness (putting the right principles like love into action) -
essential for change.
2. Begin with the end in mind
Find your life’s purpose based upon changing the world through your principles.
Base your life on becoming the person you would like to be - for example:
To live with integrity and to make a difference in the lives of others.
3. Put first things first
Do what’s important first.
4. Think win/win
Seek mutual benefit in your relationships. This requires:
a) integrity
Practise these principles:
- love (positive giving) and patience.
- respect for human dignity.
b) maturity
Balancing courage and consideration for other people's feelings and convictions
c) the abundance principle
(there's enough for everybody)
d) understand others and then be understood
(see habit 5)
5. Seek first to understand, then to be
understood
Empathetic two-way communication - how?
- understand others' point of view and then being understood.
- understand and identify the problem before finding a solution.
6. Synergize
Creative co-operation with others in groups by:
- being open to new ideas and different views.
- finding creative solutions to problems in groups (though inspirational purpose,
passion, brainstorming, questioning and constructive debate).
7. Sharpen the saw
Continuous self-improvement in four areas that should all be kept in balance:
- physical (exercise, nutrition, stress management).
- social/emotional (service, empathy, good relationships,
creativity, psychological security).
- spiritual (reflection and clarifying values).
- mental (reading, visualizing, planning and writing).
You have the potential to be great, so persevere.
Key quote on decision
making
The way we see the problem is the
problem
Effective people are not problem-minded; they’re opportunity-minded.
Key quote on leadership and
management
Management is efficiency in climbing
the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right
wall.
Effective management is putting first
things first.
Key quotes on influencing
people
It is character that communicates most eloquently.
We see the world not as it is but as we are.
Act or be acted upon.
Key quote on
change
The key to the ability to change is a
changeless sense of who you are, what you are about and what you
value.
Key quote on
happiness
Achieving
unity - oneness - with ourselves, with our loved ones, with our friends and working
associates is the highest and best and most delicious fruit of the Seven
Habits.
Key quotes on
motivation
Trust is the highest form of human motivation.
No involvement, no commitment.
The 8th Habit (2004)
Covey added an eighth habit of personal effectiveness: “Find your voice
and inspire others to find theirs” i.e. be uniquely significant and encourage others to do the
same.
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