Stephen R. Covey - The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

"The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People..." Hmmm... Sounds a bit pretentious, yes? Like, maybe another one of those books written by a guy who thinks he has all the answers? Every secret of the universe revealed?!

Don?t be fooled by the catchy title. This is actually a vitally important book written by Stephen R. Covey, one of the foremost experts on organizational management in the United States today. The fact that The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is a best-seller that has spawned a highly successful management course and several Seven Habits books dedicated to specific groups of people attests to its popularity?and its power. I?ve read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People several times now (I?ve also taken the Seven Habits management course), and the book?s powerful message never ceases to have a positive effect on nearly every aspect of my life.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is a book about organizational excellence, but with a key difference than most others on the same subject: Covey believes that the foundation of organizational excellence is personal excellence. The seven habits can be applied in nearly every situation in our lives, and, if successfully practiced, will help us to improve our lives at home, work and play. A word of caution, though: the book may not be for everybody; you have to be willing to face yourself honestly and courageously, and apply the seven habits daily, in order to become more effective.

Covey?s seven habits have the power to lead us from dependence to interdependence; from low maturity to high maturity; and from private victory to public victory. They show us how we can take responsibility for our lives and stop making excuses for failure ("Be proactive"); how to understand and clarify our personal goals and objectives ("Begin with the end in mind"); and how to establish and set our priorities ("Put first things first"). They teach how to deal with others more positively: "Think win-win," "Seek first to understand, then be understood," and "Synergize." Finally, they give us practical steps to maintaining our own personal effectiveness ("Sharpen the saw").

For the most part, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is well written. Covey tends to "sermonize" in places, and his writing style is at times long-winded and a bit patronizing (a flaw common to many writers of management books who think of theirs as the "best way"). However, despite its stylistic shortcomings, the book?s message is powerful and profound?for those who have the courage to accept it and put it into practice.