by Kathy Holzapfel
MY PASSION: PERSONAL GROWTH:
Life doesn't come with
an instruction manual. This means we each get to assemble our own; one that can
be customized, updated, and overhauled at will. How empowering! In this column,
we'll explore ways to promote positive growth via books and programs on success
and personal development.
THE BOOK:
The 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
By Stephen R. Covey
Version reviewed: Paperback, ISBN-13 978-0-7432-6951-3
Published by: Simon & Schuster, Free Press, 2004
(revised edition)
Nonfiction categories: Self Help, Business & Investing
Note: Originally published in 1989, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal
Change, is still ranked in Amazon's Top 100 Books, and in Amazon’s Top 10
for the categories Self Help and Business & Investing, as of July 2013.
THE AUTHOR:
The late Stephen R. Covey, Ph.D. – businessman, teacher,
author – amassed an amazing list of achievements, awards, and honors during his
lifetime, including recognition as one of Time magazine's 25 most influential
Americans. While Dr. Covey published a number of bestselling non-fiction titles
- Everyday Greatness, First Things
First, The 8th Habit, to name a few - the phenomenal success of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
remains a pinnacle of accomplishment with 25 million copies printed in 38
languages, worldwide. And it’s still a top seller. The audio version of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
has sold 15 million copies to-date, making it one of the bestselling nonfiction
audio-books in history and the first nonfiction audio-book in U.S. publishing
history to sell more than one million copies.
THE SUMMARY:
The 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change is a
principle-centered methodology that can be applied personally and
professionally to resolve problems, strengthen talents, and make the most of life’s
opportunities.
WHAT'S TO LIKE:
Many people are familiar with a few, if not all, of the individual
habits. The complete list follows, but don’t let their brevity fool you. In the
book, Dr. Covey expands each habit, giving it an uncommon depth and breadth.
The 7 Habits:
#1: Be Proactive (Principles of
Personal Vision)
#2: Begin with the End in Mind (Principles
of Personal leadership)
#3: Put First Things First (Principles
of Personal Management)
#4: Think Win-Win (Principles of
Interpersonal Leadership)
#5: Seek First to Understand, Then
to be Understood
(Principles of Empathetic Communication)
#6: Synergize (Principles of
Creative Cooperation)
#7: Sharpen the Saw (Principles of
Balanced Self-Renewal)
Designed to be studied and adopted sequentially, the habits
build on one another. The habits are grouped in a multi-tiered hierarchy that
moves a person from dependence, to independence and interdependence, by looking
inward at the individual, then shifting outward to the environment.
The first three habits are called “Private Victories” and
deal with self-mastery, strengthening and defining the reader’s character base.
Habits 4, 5, and 6 are “Public Victories,” with a focus on teamwork,
cooperation and communication. The 7th habit is a process of ongoing
renewal that encompasses all the other habits, while spiraling upward toward
perpetual improvement.
Graphics and tables visually enhance the text. Each habit is
defined and explained in straightforward language, with plenty of examples and
anecdotes. The chapters end with Application Suggestions, a series of
practical, proactive exercises to help implement the habit.
The book is divided into four parts:
·
Part One: Paradigms and Principles: an introduction
and overview of the habits.
·
Part Two: Private Victory: introduces
habits 1, 2, and 3.
·
Part Three: Public Victory: covers habits
4, 5, and 6.
·
Part Four: Renewal: looks at habit 7 and how
they interrelate.
The revised (2004) edition includes a foreword with Dr.
Covey’s thoughts on the timeless relevance of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. There is also an afterword
where Covey gets personal and tackles the most frequent questions asked since
the book’s release. I liked the question about which habit Dr. Covey personally
had the greatest difficulty with. To learn that the process was ongoing for him
was heartening.
The one line which seemed to sum up the book’s premise is
from the foreword: “If you want to achieve your highest aspirations and
overcome your greatest challenges, identify and apply the principle or natural
law that governs the results you seek.” That’s exactly what the 7 habits do.
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU:
The number itself - 7 - is an amenable, doable quantity –
emphasis on doable. Action is required. Knowledge alone is static. Wisdom,
however, is personal. Wisdom is mixing knowledge with action and experience.
The 7 habits are a solid way to develop principle-based personal power. Mastery
of the habits entails practice, application and feedback – all the usual
requirements for distinction.
How to begin to implement the habits in today’s busy world? Start
with one of the exercises suggested for each habit. Or concentrate on one habit
for a thirty day period. (Imagine your life seven months later!) You could also
blog about your experience with each habit. Public commitment is a powerful way
to stay the course.
Bonus! Here’s a cool tool: Visit
www.stephencovey.com and register to
join the free online learning community. As of July 2013, the community had over 270,000 members. You’ll
find videos, exercises, planning tools, and forums. Groups are available, with interest
categories ranging from body goals, to geographical areas, to company groups. You
can also connect with people who share your interests and invite others to
join.
ACTIVE READING TIPS:
Keep a highlighter and pen handy to note passages that speak
to you. This book has a number of useful charts that can be utilized
immediately. One of my favorites is the Time Management Matrix, which categorizes
activities in four quadrants of importance and urgency.
RELATED PRODUCTS:
In addition to the print and digital copies, the book is
available in audio and DVD versions. For those who like a hands-on approach, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Personal Workbook is available.
Two additional titles that expand on the 7 habits are: Living the 7 Habits: The Courage to Change
and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
Families. There are also specialized audio programs including: The 7 Habits for Managers, The 7 Habits for
Network Marketing Professionals, and The
7 Habits of Highly Effective Marriage. Franklin/Covey, a business Dr. Covey
co-founded, offers a number of live and online workshops based on the habits.
CLOSING REMARKS:
Highly recommended. (Yes, that’s all you’ll find here. The best,
for the best.) The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change is a
thought-provoking book. It asks you to work on yourself first, to assess habits
and processes before delving outward in committed change. The trajectory of
that change will be meaningful and personal. The path of individual excellence
is different for each of us, but the destination is the same: the top.
BOOK ANATOMY:
Page count: Main text: 307 pages (approx.)
Front matter: 20 pages
(Table of Contents, foreword, etc.)
Back matter: 54
pages (FAQs, appendices, index, etc.)
Chapters: 11 sections,
1 habit per chapter, plus explanation/illustration of each part
Chapters range in length from 55
pages to 21 pages. Graphics and tables are sprinkled throughout the text.
Formats: Hardcover,
paperback, eBooks Kindle/Nook/Apple, Audiobook
Library: Widely
available.
WorldCat.org lists
over 3600 libraries in the U.S. with copies.
DISCLOSURE:
The copy reviewed was purchased by Kathy Holzapfel. No
material connection.
Award-winning novelist
and life coach, Kathy Holzapfel is passionate about creativity and personal
development. Please visit her website and blog: www.BodaciousWords.com
