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The cover of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen R. Covey, 1989

Lasting effectiveness grows from character, not technique. Seven habits carry you from dependence to independence to interdependence, starting with the choices only you can make.

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11 parts, about 29 minutes to read.

Why read it

  • Argues lasting effectiveness grows from character, not personality techniques, and that change works from the inside out
  • Walks through seven habits that move a person from dependence to independence to interdependence, from being proactive to sharpening the saw
  • Offers concrete tools: a personal mission statement, the four quadrants of time, the Emotional Bank Account and the Third Alternative

Who it is for

  • Professionals with career success but an inner hunger
  • Parents and partners working on trust at home
  • Managers who want to delegate and build cooperation

What the summary covers

  1. Inside Out: Paradigms and Principles4 min
  2. The Seven Habits and the Maturity Continuum2 min
  3. Habit 1: Be Proactive3 min
  4. Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind3 min
  5. Habit 3: Put First Things First3 min
  6. Paradigms of Interdependence3 min
  7. Habit 4: Think Win Win3 min
  8. Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood2 min
  9. Habit 6: Synergize2 min
  10. Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw2 min
  11. Inside Out Again2 min

Recommended by

  • Arianna HuffingtonAuthor and media entrepreneur
    [Thirty] years after it first appeared, the wisdom of The 7 Habits is more relevant than ever. On an individual level people are burning out, and on a collective level we are burning up the planet. So Dr. Covey’s emphasis on self-renewal and his understanding that leadership and creativity require us to tap into our own physical, mental, and spiritual resources are exactly what we need now.
  • Jim CollinsBusiness author, wrote the foreword to this edition
    No person lasts forever, but books and ideas can endure. Stephen R. Covey’s life is done, but his work is not. It continues, right here in this book as alive today as when first written.
  • Daniel PinkAuthor of Drive and When
    Every so often a book comes along that not only alters the lives of readers but leaves an imprint on the culture itself. The 7 Habits is one of those books.
  • Seth GodinBlogger and national bestselling author of The Dip, Purple Cow and Tribes
    There are very few business books that are essential reading for anyone who wants to make a difference. This is one of the great ones
  • Indra NooyiAmazon board member and former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
    It stands the test of time as one of the most important books of our time
  • Michael PhelpsOlympic swimmer
    The lessons outlined in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People are an important guide to success. This book is one of the top selling books of all-time for a reason.

About the author

  • Stephen R. CoveyWas an American author and educator, and a professor at Utah State University
    • Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on 24 October 1932.
    • Earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Utah, an MBA at Harvard and a doctorate at Brigham Young University.
    • Before the book appeared he was a professor of business management and organizational behavior and an assistant to the president at Brigham Young University.
    • His doctoral dissertation, finished in 1976, was a study of American success literature since 1776, the reading behind the book.
    • He founded the Covey Leadership Center, which merged with Franklin Quest in 1997 to create FranklinCovey.
    • In 1996 Time magazine named him one of its 25 most influential Americans.
    • In 2010 he joined the faculty of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University as a tenured full professor.

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