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Leadership books and similar publications account for a large percentage of the multi-billion-dollar self-help industry. Titles come and go, helping shape the way that people think and interact with one another, whether at work, at home, or in the community. However, some books continue to ring true to readers years after their original printings. One example is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Stephen_Covey

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Dr. Stephen R. Covey published this book more than 25 years ago while teaching business administration courses at Brigham Young University, where he earned his PhD. Since the release of 7 Habits, he has been credited for sparking the growth of the self-help genre, to which he contributed volumes on leadership-related topics. What is it, though, that has allowed his work to stay relevant for so long?

The answer to this question will vary from reader to reader and from leader to leader, the millions who have been influenced in one way or another by Covey’s 7 Habits. However, there are a few general explanations. First, Covey changed the title of his book shortly before publication because he decided the title needed to explain the book’s contents with a greater level of clarity. The original title? “Restoring the Character Ethic.”

Another reason 7 Habits maintained its position on the New York Times bestseller list for more than four years is that he presented his ideas in action. He tested each of his principles for effective leadership in various workshops and in his own life before compiling them into book form. As a result, readers not only learn concepts, but also how to apply them.

Overall, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is highly-regarded for its accessibility, relatability, and universality. The following overview highlights each of the seven habits, along with the companion eighth habit that Covey introduced in 2004.

1. Be proactive

Each of the seven habits relate to the perceptions that people hold of the world around them, and the first principle deals with reshaping one’s attitude toward personal responsibility. Proactivity, according to Covey, involves making choices and commitments without seeking to blame other people or circumstances. As such, becoming proactive includes moving away from a reactive state of mind and focusing on those things which are controllable.

2. Begin with the end in mind

With his second habit, Covey teaches that goal setting is a process of mentally creating an objective and then bringing it to life. Seeing the end from the beginning enables leaders to be leaders, and it allows them to proceed with greater purpose and care. Imagination is an integral component of leadership.

3. Put first things first

prioritiesPutting first things first presents another opportunity for leaders to make a choice: they choose, or define, their priorities. Establishing what carries the most value builds on the first two habits and helps lead one toward the end goal. Covey points out that time management, done well, really amounts to priority management.

4. Think win-win

The win-win perspective suggests that leaders replace today’s contemporary, competitive mindset with a cooperative one. Approaching a task with this attitude requires a balance of courage and consideration for others. Win-win is predicated on a belief in what Covey terms an “abundance mentality,” which is the idea that someone does not have to lose in order for another to win.

5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood

Seeking to understand means trying to understand someone else’s perspective rather than using their points just to frame your reply. Covey encourages leaders to build on the communication skills they have developed by adding listening to their arsenals. Real listening, he argues, occurs when an individual strives to understand words as the speaker intends them versus how they measure up to one’s own knowledge and experience.

6. Synergize

The habit of synergy is co-developed as a leader learns how to effectively interact and invent with her or his partners. Leaders who want to increase their productivity and their ability to make new discoveries can harness this habit, which leverages the differences of participants to elevate the possible number of outcomes. Simply put, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

7. Sharpen the saw

In the last of the original seven habits, Covey encourages leaders and people trying to become more effective to simply invest in themselves. He outlines the need to, at the very least, maintain and ideally, enhance the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of oneself. The seventh habit is intended to facilitate the preceding six.

8. Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs

Covey amended his original list with this final habit – which itself comprises an entire book – to accommodate the ways in which the Internet has changed how people operate. The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness offers more applicable insight on how to collaborate with others. One strategy for unlocking your full potential is to help others identify and maximize their own contributions.