Stephen Covey will be remembered most as the author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which sold over 25 million copies. It’s been many years since I read “the habits” but I was delighted recently when I learned that my daughter read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens in school. Although they weren’t completely original thoughts, the catchy labels he gave the habits made them memorable:
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand
Habit 6: Synergize
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Below are 10 quotes from Stephen Covey that have the power to completely change the direction of one’s life.
1) The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
2) The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
3) Live out of your imagination, not your history.
4) Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.
5) Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.
6) I am not a product of my circ*mstances. I am a product of my decisions.
7) You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically, to say “no” to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger “yes” burning inside. The enemy of the “best” is often the “good.”
8) I teach people how to treat me by what I will allow.
9) Love is a verb. Love – the feeling – is the fruit of love the verb or our loving actions. So love her.
10) Live, love, laugh, leave a legacy.
Do you have a favorite Stephen Covey quote? Please share it with us in the comments.
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Kevin Kruse is a New York Times bestselling author who writes a column on Wholehearted Leadership for Forbes. Kevin is the founder of several multimillion dollar companies that have won Inc 500 and Best Place to Work awards.His latest book, Employee Engagement 2.0, provides a step-by-step plan that turns task-managers into true leaders who unlock the discretionary effort of their teams.
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