“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey is a self-help guide that offers readers a holistic approach to personal and professional effectiveness by aligning oneself to universal and timeless principles of a character ethic.
The book lists seven principles as below:
- Be Proactive: The principle tells us to take responsibility for our lives rather than blaming circumstances or others.
- Begin with the End in Mind: This habit helps individuals to envision what they want and start working towards these goals.
- Put First Things First: This talks about managing time effectively, which includes doing things that you and no one else can do.
- Think Win-Win: This includes both personal and professional relationships and promotes an attitude of mutual benefit.
- Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood: This habit emphasizes empathic listening which creates an atmosphere of loving respect.
- Synergize: Here, Covey suggests the concept of creative cooperation or teamwork where the sum is always greater than the two parts.
- Sharpen the Saw: The last habit is about self-renewal and continuous improvement, to keep the other six habits working efficiently.
Behind these seven habits, Covey argues, lies his principle of “inside-out”. We must change ourselves first before we can expect to change others or our circumstances.
By practicing these seven principles, Covey claims one can achieve true “interdependent” effectiveness. He advises us to have a balance of personal wellness, maintaining the right focus on the right tasks, forming beneficial relationships, and making agreements for mutual benefit.
