The seven habits of highly effective people®


Dr Stephen Covey's inspirational book - 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People®

Dr Stephen Covey is a hugely influential management guru, whose book The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People, became a blueprint for personal development when it was published in 1990. The Seven Habits are said by some to be easy to understand but not as easy to apply. Don't let the challenge daunt you: The 'Seven Habits' are a remarkable set of inspirational and aspirational standards for anyone who seeks to live a full, purposeful and good life, and are applicable today more than ever, as the business world becomes more attuned to humanist concepts. Covey's values are full of integrity and humanity, and contrast strongly with the process-based ideologies that characterised management thinking in earlier times.

Stephen Covey, as well as being a renowned writer, speaker, academic and humanist, has also built a huge training and consultancy products and services business - Franklin Covey which has a global reach, and has at one time or another consulted with and provided training services to most of the world's leading corporations.




Sephen covey's seven habits of highly effective people®


Habit 1 - be proactive®

This is the ability to control one's environment, rather than have it control you, as is so often the case. Self determination, choice, and the power to decide response to stimulus, conditions and circumstances



Habit 2 - begin with the end in mind®

Covey calls this the habit of personal leadership - leading oneself that is, towards what you consider your aims. By developing the habit of concentrating on relevant activities you will build a platform to avoid distractions and become more productive and successful.

Habit 3 - put first things first®

Covey calls this the habit of personal management. This is about organising and implementing activities in line with the aims established in habit 2. Covey says that habit 2 is the first, or mental creation; habit 3 is the second, or physical creation.

Habit 4 - think win-win®

Covey calls this the habit of interpersonal leadership, necessary because achievements are largely dependent on co-operative efforts with others. He says that win-win is based on the assumption that there is plenty for everyone, and that success follows a co-operative approach more naturally than the confrontation of win-or-lose.


Habit 5 - seek first to understand and then to be understood®

One of the great maxims of the modern age. This is Covey's habit of communication, and it's extremely powerful. Covey helps to explain this in his simple analogy 'diagnose before you prescribe'. Simple and effective, and essential for developing and maintaining positive relationships in all aspects of life.



Habit 6 - synergize®

Covey says this is the habit of creative co-operation - the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, which implicitly lays down the challenge to see the good and potential in the other person's contribution.


Habit 7 - sharpen the saw®

This is the habit of self renewal, says Covey, and it necessarily surrounds all the other habits, enabling and encouraging them to happen and grow. Covey interprets the self into four parts: the spiritual, mental, physical and the social/emotional, which all need feeding and developing.



Stephen Covey's Seven Habits are a simple set of rules for life - inter-related and synergistic, and yet each one powerful and worthy of adopting and following in its own right. For many people, reading Covey's work, or listening to him speak, literally changes their lives. This is powerful stuff indeed and highly recommended.

This 7 Habits summary is just a brief overview - the full work is fascinating, comprehensive, and thoroughly uplifting. Read the book, or listen to the full tape series if you can get hold of it.

In his more recent book 'The 8th Habit', Stephen Covey introduced (logically) an the eighth habit, which deals with personal fulfilment and helping others to achieve fulfilment too. The book also focuses on leadership. Time will tell whether the The 8th Habit achieves recognition and reputation close to Covey's classic original 7 Habits work.

Power Steps to Your Success

The following power steps structure your thinking to make sure the
actions you take will drive you towards success.

Power Step #1: Be In Charge Of Your Life

Caring what other people think of you puts them in charge of your
life, instead of you.
Most of us are brought up (rightfully so) to consider others. But,
unless we are discerning, we soon find ourselves caught up in a job
we can't stand, or living in a relationship which makes us unhappy,
or getting caught up in the spiral of poverty.

'Other people' slavery kills your creativity, your energy and drive
towards your own goals and fulfilling your dreams. It stops you
from going to places you want to visit and enjoying the kind of
entertainment that you enjoy. So, make certain you're not always
driven to do things, merely because you're worried about what other
people think of you. Be confident in who you are!

Power Step #2: Strive to be Different

Nearly everyone you know will strive to be normal - because it's
socially acceptable. But the normal person goes nowhere special and
achieves the mundane.


Power Step #3: Look to the Future

If you dwell on your past mistakes your creativity can crash to a
grinding halt and you will be unable to move forward. Losing is
good if you interpret it correctly.

Don't regard mistakes as mistakes. It ceases to be a mistake and
loses its power to hold you back if you can learn to be glad that
you've not failed but learned valuable lessons in life. That
attitude will help you to build future successes.

Blessed is he who is not discouraged by mistakes. Blessed is he who
is glad he makes mistakes. Winning - or losing - is a state of mind.




Power Step #4: It's Never Too Late


If you have a goal and you find yourself saying 'it's too late',
the only way to conquer that fear is to ignore it and go ahead and
do the thing you fear. It's NEVER too late if you have the courage
and the passion to follow your dream.


Power Step #5: Don't Crave Security


The idea of insurance is to cushion the impact of the unexpected.
In theory it's a good idea, but it has turned our society into a
population of security seekers. It has weakened our strength as
individuals who know we can surmount any problem or situation that
life throws our way.

The stifling extent of this slavery is enormous. The more security
we have the less psychological freedom we can enjoy and the less
our chances are of success and abundance.


If you want to make sure you don't stifle your need for excitement:

1. Dare to be individual.

2. Dare to develop your own style - instead of following fashion.

3. Dare to study and work to improve yourself in your profession.

4. Dare to have a positive mental attitude and the courage to try.

In other words: Dare to take a chance.

Power Step #6: I Am Certain to Win

Our minds drive us to achieve exactly what we believe we're capable
of achieving. This is good news because once we understand this and
master the art of controlled thinking, then we can guide our
destiny towards success.

If you need to break the bonds of 'I'm certain to fail' slavery:

1. Hold positive chats with yourself.
2. Surround yourself with positive people.
3. Think, 'I'm going to succeed'.
4. Think, 'I'm a winner'.

The only person you will have to convince is yourself. Other people
are automatically convinced you're great and a success, after you
have convinced yourself.