The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Book Summary

Book Summary

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Brief Summary

Highly effective people practice these seven habits to improve their chances of achieving both private and public victories. They proactively take control of their life by prioritizing what is important and aligning each of their actions to ensure they support the achievement of their own personal mission and goals for the future. They also cultivate strong interpersonal relationships, are effective communicators, and embrace synergy and creative cooperation. Effective people also understand the importance of taking time to engage in self-renewing activities, which maintain their own physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health. They cultivate a sustainable, renewable lifestyle which ensures long-term effectiveness and success.

About the Author

Stephen Covey was a speaker, educator, leadership consultant, and internationally bestselling author. He had written and co-written multiple bestselling books, including The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, The Leader in Me, and The 3rd Alternative: Solving Life's Most Difficult Problems.

Covey was a professor at Utah State University’s Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. Previously, he was a professor at the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. He was also the co-founder of the education and business consulting firm, FranklinCovey Co.

Convey was named one of TIME Magazine's 25 Most Influential Americans in 1996 and was the winner of the 1994 International Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He has received the Thomas More College Medallion for continuing service to humanity, and the National Entrepreneur of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership. He passed away in 2012.

Topics

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Book Summary Preview

What You’ll Learn

The top seven habits for achieving private and public victories
The necessity of cooperation, effective communication, and cultivating strong relationships
The importance of taking the time for self-renewal to maintain healthy habits

Who Is This For

Individuals trying to improve their personal and work relationships
People trying to establish healthy and beneficial habits in their everyday lives
Anyone looking to cultivate a mindset of growth and self-improvement

Key Insights

Highly effective people incorporate these seven habits into their lives, which will increase their efficiency, help them cultivate strong relationships, and improve their chances of success. Effective people are able to focus on important priorities and understand which assets should be nurtured to yield the best long term results.

Effective people are proactive. They choose to act on things they can control while understanding that there are circumstances that are not under their control. They are not reactive, but prioritize what is important over what is merely urgent, and act with their end goal in mind. They are also effective communicators, cultivating win/win relationships where both parties benefit. They are empathetic listeners and practice synergy, which ensures the team will be stronger working together than any individual would be alone.

Lastly, effective people take time to take care of themselves. They care for the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of their lives, to ensure they are healthy and are able to sustain an effective, productive life in the long term.

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Highly effective people are proactive. They acknowledge that they are the ones in control of their own actions. Even if they are not in control of their circumstances, they can choose how they decide to react to their circumstances. Proactive people choose to act in accordance with their own personal missions and philosophy.

People, unlike other animals, are able to control and even reprogram their response to external situations. They can influence external circumstances if they proactively choose to. However, many people’s first response to circumstances is still to be reactive instead of proactive. Reactive people allow external circumstances to control their emotions and actions, rather than understanding that their own actions and feelings are within their control, and do not have to be dictated by external forces.

Proactive people also take initiative. They acknowledge the limits of their circumstances but also look for what is possible to do within each circumstance. For example, instead of thinking a certain trait is an immutable part of themselves, they understand that they are in control of changing themselves. Similarly, they understand they cannot control others, but they can control how they react to other’s behavior and how they let it affect them.

A good way to visualize this is to imagine two circles, a smaller one inside a larger one. The outer circle is the Circle of Concern, which houses all the things someone might be concerned about, from bills and relationships to politics and war. Inside that circle is a smaller circle, which is the Circle of Influence. This circle contains all the things that are inside an individual’s control.

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