wisdom to win

 Wisdom to Win
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Stephen Covey (1932- 2012)Stephen Covey

 

American expert in personal development and leadership (pictured right) .

 

Key books

 

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (1989)

 (for more detail see The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People in the Business Books section)

 

The seven principles for success are:

 

1. Be proactive

Accept responsibility for your life and do something to change it.

 

2. Begin with the end in mind 

Find your life’s purpose based upon changing the world through your principles.

 

3. Put first things first 

Do what’s important first.

 

4. Think win/win 

Seek mutual benefit in your relationships.

 

5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood 

Empathetic two-way communication.

 

6. Synergize

Creative co-operation with others in groups.

 

7. Sharpen the saw

Self-improvement in four areas that should all be kept in balance:

  • physical (exercise, nutrition, stress management).
  • social/emotional (service, empathy, good relationships, psychological security).
  • spiritual (reflection and clarifying values).
  • mental (reading, visualizing, planning and writing).

 

Key quote on influencing people

It is character that communicates most eloquently. 

 

Key quotes on success

We see the world not as it is but as we are.

When we really, deeply understand each other, we open the door to creative solutions.

Effective people are not problem-minded; they’re opportunity-minded.

 

Key quote on motivation

Trust is the highest form of human motivation.

 

 

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.

 

Key quote on leadership

Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it in themselves.

 

 

Principle-Centred Leadership (1992)

(for more detail see Principle-Centred Leadership in the Business Books section)

 

Principle-centred leaders inspire trust because of their

  • character and principles.
  • trust in others.
  • sensitivity.

 

Key quote on leadership

Trust - or the lack of it - is at the root of success or failure in relationships and in the bottom-line results of business

 

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