The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Book Review

I)
About
Author

the

Stephen Richards Covey, recognized as one of Time magazines 25 most influential

Americans, was born on October 24, 1932. Until his death on July 16, 2012, he was a
professor at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. Dr.
Stephen R. Covey was an American author, businessman, educator and motivational
speaker who devoted his live in demonstrating how every person can live effectively
and orderly.
He became well known in the field of business administration and management
because of his book entitled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People which was
named the #1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century. His success
continued as he published more blockbuster books which include First Things First,
Principle-Centered Leadership, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families with
sales exceeding a million copies each.
Coveys last book, the 8

th

habit, was written as sequel to the Seven Habits. He

suggests that effectiveness does not suffice in the Knowledge Worker Age and he
says that challenges and everyone must find their voice and inspire others to find
theirs. This book, having sold more than 400,000 copies worldwide, shows how
people admire the works of Stephen Covey.

II.
Synopsis
A. Paradigms and Principles
A paradigm is the way we see and understand the world around us. It is a mental
map by which we interpret the information we receive. Principles are guidelines
for human behavior that have been proven over time to have enduring and
permanent value. The challenge is to develop our own paradigms that are based on
principles. Everyone carries with them two mental maps the way things are and
the way things should be. People always assume that the way they see things is the
way
they really are which affects the way they interact with other people. In other
words, people of the same perception communicate and act the same. The 7 habits
are a new level of thinking that is a paradigm shift based on a principle-centered,
Amanda Mhango
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Book Review

character-based inside-outside approach to personal effectiveness.
When this book was first written, much of the literature was focused on creating a
better personality for business success. For Covey this is backwards. Covey sees the
development of a good character, one that is based on good principles, as more
important as this forms the basis for you as a whole. Covey sees this approach as a
paradigm shift: something that will move people from one (usually wrong) way of
doing something to a new direction.
Specifically, the shift is going from a deterministic/genetic approach to personality
and character, Covey believes that you can change you who are, because who you
are is a collection of habits. Therefore, if you change your habits, you can change you
are. Covey also believes there are certain principles and values which make us more
effective.

INTRODUCTION
The Stephen R. Covey's book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People tells about
ways to increase individuals effectiveness and make them more successful. To
accomplish these goals, the author proposes the practice of seven main principles or
habits. These include: being proactive; beginning with the end in mind; putting first
things first; thinking win-win; seeking first to understand rather than to be
understood; synergizing; and sharpening the saw.
To combine all of the habits, the author uses the concept of a Maturity Continuum
from dependence to independence to interdependence (Covey, 1989, p. 49). In other
words, Covey anticipates that individuals go through each suggested step, meaning
that all men and women start as dependents. Then, as they mature, people start to
become more independent, physically, emotionally, financially, etc. However,
interdependence focuses on arriving at the effectiveness's maximum through
independence, and also emphasizes teamwork, which works to combine all talents
and abilities. Based on these, Covey creates the concept of the ideal formula for
highly effective people.
Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent,
often unconscious patterns, habits constantly express our character and produce our
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Book Review

effectiveness or our in-effectiveness. In the words of Aristotle, We are what we
repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
The author has identified here the seven habits shared by all truly effective people.
Fortunately, for those not born effective (no one is), these habits can be learned.
Furthermore, the collective experience of the ages shows us that acquiring them will
give us the character to succeed.

iii) Habits and its meaning

Covey looks at each of the habits in turn, explaining why they are necessary, and how
to develop them. One should always be proactive, for example, keep the end goal in
sight, and prioritise. Everyone should begin with private victories, then move on to
public ones and then work to synergise all parts of their life to create something that
is more than the sum of its parts.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is based on a compelling premise: that we will
succeed more in life if we decide to effect change first within ourselves, then project
that change out, rather than let circumstances control us. Covey encourages the
reader to be in charge of his or her own life: a message that's inspiring and motivating

Habit 1: Be proactive.

You take responsibility for your own behavior. You don't blame circumstances,
conditions, or your conditioning for your behavior. You choose your response
to any situation and any person. We can choose our own response to any signals
of information we receive. Covey says that we must use our resourcefulness and
initiative to work for our personal goals. Moreover, he says that each person has
both a circle of influence and a circle of concern. Worrying and thinking too much
about things outside our circle of influence is unproductive. Working within our circle
of influence is productive and the more effective we become, the larger the circle
becomes.

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Book Review

Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind.

You can visualize the future that you want to achieve. You have a clear vision
of where you want to go and what you want to accomplish. You live your life
according to some deeply held beliefs, principles, or fundamental truths.
Beginning with the end in mind means using an image of yourself at the end of your
life as a starting point or reference of every action. Covey starts with the extreme
example of considering ones death. How would you want yourself to be
remembered? What do you want people to talk of you after you die? To begin with
the end in mind requires a clear vision of your destination and where you are. Then
you clarify what needs to be done and where youd like to end up.
Covey writes, The most effective way I know to begin with the end in mind is to
develop a personal mission statement or philosophy or creed. This statement
describes your goals and the type of person you want to become. You should think
carefully about the statement and make a commitment to your- self to keeping it.

Habit 3: Put first things first.

This habit involves self-leadership and self-management. Leadership decides what
the first things are, and management is the discipline of carrying out the program.
The heart of effective personal time management is to spend the maximum time
possible

doing

important jobs in a

non- urgent atmosphere that increases

efficiency.

Many people make the mistake of putting what is urgent ahead of what is
important, but by focusing on what is important first, you develop the ability to
prevent emergencies in the first place.

As Covey says, Effective

management is putting first things first.

Figuring out what is important is not as easy as seeing what is urgent, so put
an emphasis

on planning, avoiding mistakes, developing

relationships,

creating opportunities and having a good time once in a while. We fill many
roles in our lives, and it is necessary to give each one focus and time.
Habit 4: Think win/win.
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Book Review

You have an "abundance" mentality. You believe there is plenty for everybody.
You don't believe that one person's success requires another person's failure.
You look for synergistic solutions to problems. You seek to find solutions in
which all parties benefit.
The outcome of any situation, of any relationship should be win-win.
everybody wins more when everybody wins.

Simply put,

As our interconnected lives become

more apparent, this point becomes much easier to see.

In our age, Machiavellis

adage that it is better to be feared than loved has been turned on its head: it is better
to be loved than feared.
Effective interdependence can only be built on a foundation of true independence.
Private victory precedes a public victory. A person cannot be successful if he/she
has not been successful. Interdependence opens up world worlds of possibilities for
meaningful productivity.

Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

You listen with the strong intent to fully, deeply understand the other person
both emotionally and intellectually. You diagnose before you prescribe.
Part of building win/win relationships involves listening to what the other
party want.

Before stating your objectives, listen to what theirs are, put

yourself in their shoes. The easiest way to put forth the strongest possible
argument for something is to be able to put forth the strongest argument
against it. This way, when you outline your objectives to the other party, you
can put them in terms that respond to their goals.
The importance of empathic listening, meaning to listen with the intent to
understand and not just to respond. To build the skill of relating to other people
effectively is to understand their point of view without judgment, like seeing
the world through their eyes. It is not about agreeing or disagreeing, solving or
fixing, nor figuring something out; merely reflecting on what they feel and
saying it in your own words is the key to opening peoples hearts.
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Book Review

Habit 6: Synergize.
One person cannot lift a car, but 100 certainly can.

Groups of people working

together create synergy, where the entire group is much more powerful than the sum
of each individual. Connected with the last two habits, synergy is about listening to
what the other people say and reacting appropriately. The two keys to synergy are
cooperation and communication. Get a group doing these two elements and anything
is possible.

You are creative. You are a trailblazer and a pathfinder. You believe the whole is
greater than the sum of its parts. You value differences between people and try
to build upon those differences. When presented with two conflicting
alternatives, you seek a third, more creative response.
Habit 7: Sharpen the saw.

You seek continuous improvement, innovation, and refinement. You are always
seeking to learn.
Covey uses the tale of a man cutting a log with a saw. Over time, the saw gets
dull, and cuts less making him work more. A passerby suggests stopping to
sharpen the saw, but the man cannot, because he is too busy sawing! Covey
sees the saw as our minds, bodies, souls and hearts, and highly effective
people sharpen their saws all of the time.
Covey promotes a life of exercise for the body, prayer and meditation for the
mind, reading and mind games for the mind, and better communication with
those around you for the mind. On this last point, the easiest way to approach
it is to leave others better off than when you first met them. To make all the
others possible is to have ourselves the time to renew. Not too much but not too
little, but regular effort in maintaining the physical, mental, social, emotional and
spiritual aspect of our being. Balance progress in each of these dimensions will be
our foundation for growth and change, the key to the development of the 7 habits.
IV. Strengths of the Paper
If you are someone whos into leadership, then this book is a good one. This
book discusses things that have something to do with leadership, modeling, path
finding, empowering, and all those other concepts that are related to leading. This
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Book Review

book speaks of how we need a complete up-to-date conviction in todays world. If
you feel dispirited and unacknowledged, then this book is really for you. After
reading this book you may find that your viewpoint on life has changed. Youll
find yourself reaching out to find your goal or meaning in life. Throughout the
book, Covey has put illustrations to help with his clarifications in each chapter. He
also

scattered

quotes

from

others

throughout,

which

can

help

in

better

understanding the ideas in this book and inspire the reader.

The author presents that one of the most important habits of highly effective people
is to be proactive. To support this position, Covey uses the comparison between
proactive and reactive people. In the first case, the author says that as human
beings, we are responsible for our own lives (Covey, 1989, p. 71). In addition, the
behavior of proactive people is a product of their own conscious choice, based on
their
own values (Covey, 1989, p. 71). However, reactive people build their emotional
lives around the behavior of others (Covey, 1989, p. 72). The analysis of this saying
creates a controversial opinion. On the one hand, this is absolutely true that people
must act in accordance with their own life principles, regardless of the conditions
and circumstances.

V. Weaknesses

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However, this book is not that easy to read. It is too complex, and it's a
system/philosophy/set of habits all to itself. Although it's easy to understand and
comprehend the idea behind being a trim-tab spirit in your organization, it's a bit
more difficult trying to see the practical application of circle of knowledge/ignorance
by the time you get to the end. Its something youll need to ponder on as you go.
Therefore, it is highly recommended to read each chapter at least twice to get the
real meaning of what the author is trying to express.
It can also be said that presented author's inaccuracy forces to assume that Covey
describes the non-existent world, or a utopia. In other words, the author describes the
ideal society, and business without deficiencies. In addition, he loses sight of global
problems, such as crises, revolutions, recessions, which can make people to be slaves
of circumstances. But definitely, using these seven habits may be effective for
individuals, but they should also see and understand the world more broadly and
deeply. In other words, people should think more realistic and rational.
Also According to the book, the habit think win-win means that all parties feel good
about the decision and feel committed to the action (Covey, 1989, p. 207). However,
this position can cause a wave of protest from game theory's followers. According to
this theory, there are two or more groups or individuals, that waging a struggle for
their interests' realization. Furthermore, each group has its own goals and strategies,
which can lead to a win or lose. Nowadays, there is a high level of competition, and
adversarial principle or win-lose is more popular than win-win way. Further, the
majority of businessmen think that only competition can make the organization to be
more effective and successful. According to Dock Trecee's article, the competition is
is an ever-present facet of life and a driving force behind progress, and should be
appreciated as such (Competition moves society forward, 2010).

VI. Lessons learned

The book has a lot to offer to its readers when it comes to being an efficient and
effective leader. The most important lesson that I learned from the book, and the one
I think I will be using in real life, is the second habit which states that peoples
actions must always begin and be aligned with the end in mind. I realized that no
matter how much effort we put into an activity or an endeavor, if the end is not
justifiable, all the hard work will be futile. It is like climbing the long ladder of success
only to find out that the ladder is leading towards the wrong wall.
In order to succeed, Covey proposes visualization. In this habit of personal

leadership, one must be able to lead himself towards his own aims. Through
developing the habit of concentrating on relevant activities, one can create his own
pathway towards success.
VII) Recommendations
First of all, as it was found, that the author does not give the definition what he
understands by highly effective people. In other words, Covey provides seven habits,
which can make the reader to be more active, and etc. However, it does not give the
exemplar, neither the individuals, nor the business organizations. The interviews of
celebrities, such as Top Managers, or Presidents, CEO could more support Covey's
theory.
Secondly, using additional sources and criteria could advocate author's position. For
example, there are several indexes, such as Happy Planet Index, and Workforce
Productivity, to reflect the living quality, and productivity of people. The Happy Planet
Index provides the information about the countries, where is a high level of
happiness or life satisfaction.

According to the statistic of 2012, top three

happiness countries were Costa Rica, Vietnam, Colombia, and only four countries
have a GDP per capita of over $15,000. The highest ranking OECD country is Israel in
15th place, and the top Western European nation is Norway in 29th place. It shows
that there are different measures to identify the happiness. The level of innovations is
a main indicator of the workforce productivity. More than that the highest level of
innovations in the specific country shows that people work there much more effective,
because it has the positive business environment for high level of technologies. It also
means that the theory of
being proactive could be modified.

VIII. Conclusion
This book does comprise particular effective ideas and some new styles to think
about self- development and leadership but works best when its directly applicable
to life. It is only highly recommended to those people who are determined about
leading and supporting others, and only for those who are willing to take the book in
small portions, trying hard to learn it as you go. If you try and read the book through
in a session or two, you'll come away with some useful and helpful tips, but nothing
close to what Covey intended you to take away. While this book is helpful for those

who are involved in business management, its a good material for others as well,
especially for those who aim for excellence in their lives.
Changing our habits to improve what we are can be a painful process. It must be
motivated by a higher purpose, and by the willingness to subordinate what you think
you want now for what you know you want later. Acquiring the seven habits of
effectiveness takes us through the stages of character development. Habits 1 through
3 make up the private victory - where we go from dependence to independence by
taking responsibility for our own lives. Acquiring habits 4through 6 is our public
victory: Once independent, we learn to be interdependent, to succeed with other
people. The seventh habit makes all the others possible periodically renewing
ourselves in mind body, and spirit.
It is a self-help book influencing the lives of thousands of people all around the globe.
This book has become a best-seller as it helps in developing the character, personality
of the people.

References
Covey S. (1989). The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. New York, NY: Designed by
Irving Perkins Associates.
Human Development Report. (2013). Human Development Report. Retrieved from
http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/reports/14/hdr2013_en_complete.pdf
Trecee D. (2010). Competition moves society forward. Retrieved from
http://www.safehaven.com/article/19015/competition-moves-society-forward
Linder D.O. (2011). Al Capone Trial (1931): An Account. Retrieved from
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/capone/caponeaccount.html
Cain S. (2013). Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.
New York, Broadway books.
Balzano F.J., Ward J. (1999). Why Should Extroverts Make All the Money? Published by

Contemporary Books, 1999.