The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change has almost cult status when it comes to business or self help books, and so does Stephen Covey. Author Stephen Covey became famous for the concept of abundance put forth in this book. Read and imbibe the 7 habits into every sphere of life, and success is yours.
The choices we make have a huge impact on our present and future. Every moment in life offers a new challenge and a choice – to accept, to be annoyed, to be happy, to be sad, to be bitter and so on. What can we do to turn things around to get positive results? Stephen Covey talks about Paradigm Shift and tells us it is necessary to embrace a radical change in our thinking if we are to benefit from the principles given in the book.
There are different perspectives to anything. What you see as fluffy white clouds might look like pollution to someone else. There is a chapter dedicated to each habit, and they are grouped under Independence, Interdependence and Continuous Improvement.
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The first habit is all about taking initiative and being responsible for your choices. Being proactive means acting first, instead of reacting to something that has already happened. Stop being hung up on past experiences or biases, or bad things that happened to you. The author talks about the Circle of Concern which is out of our control, and Circle of Influence that we can do something about. Having your eye on the prize can help you act in a manner that will help you get it. The second habit requires some vision, because the author asks you to imagine what you want out of a certain area of life or situation. Then you can proactively act toward it. A personal mission statement can help you stay on track. The third habit seems a bit esoteric. The author asks you to combine the first two habits and prioritize what is most important.
Once you have mastered yourself through the Independence principles, it is time to interact with others. Thinking win-win forces you to come up with mutually beneficial solutions. It means you believe there is plenty to go around, and there is no need to snatch from others to gain something yourself. Empathy is advocated in the fifth habit which kind of makes sense. If you try to listen to the other person, they can only reciprocate. Synergy means the sum is greater than the parts, and this is what the author asks you to achieve via the sixth habit.
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The 7th habit is all about sharpening the saw, or continuously improving on what you are already doing. Paying attention to four important spheres of your life can help you be more balanced.
This review is not exhaustive by any means, and the only way to learn more is to read the book. All the 7 habits were emblazoned on striking pictures and adorned the auditorium in our office at Alfa Laval. If they were meant to impress new recruits and up and coming executives, they did a fine job.
Bill Clinton invited Stephen Covey to Camp David and asked his advice on how to integrate the 7 habits into his presidency. Anything that impressed a US President is worth a read, and much more.
Check out Stephen Covey’s life changing (as professed by many) book at the following stores.
Buy the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People at Amazon.com
Buy the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People at Amazon India