The book of this week is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. This is a book that I most often quote. It isn’t an easy read. Dr Stephen Covey was an American educator and a professor at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University at the time of his death. The book is quite academic and a bit of a tome, but it also a must read.
In so many of my client sessions I can be heard quoting from the 7 Habits, such as: “Work from the inside out”; “Be proactive”; “Begin with the end in mind”; “Put first things first”; “Think win/win”; “Seek first to understand, then be understood; ”Sharpen the saw”; and the “Time Management Matrix”. Some of these “habits” are now in every day language without realizing that we have Stephen Covey to thank for them.
This is a must read book, and one that can change your life. Here’s the what the publishers say.
THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE is recognised as one of the most influential books ever written. In this seminal work, Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centred approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty and human dignity — principles that give us the security to adapt to change, and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates. Translated into thirty-four languages and with phenomenal sales, THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE has been the key to the success of legions of business leaders and individuals the world over.
