Seven Habits
(Stephen Covey)

Leadership and Management. Explanation of Seven Habits of Stephen Covey. ('89)

The Seven Habits model of management and leadership guru Stephen Covey is a theory that is applicable to our personal life, our social life and our working life. However the Seven Habits framework is highly applicable for leaders and managers. According to Covey, our paradigms affect how we interact with others, which in turn affects how they interact with us. Therefore Covey argues that any effective self-help program must begin with an "inside-out" approach, rather than looking towards our problems as "being out there" (an outside-in approach). We must start with examining our own character, paradigms, and motives.

The Seven Habits of Covey

Be proactive. This is the ability to control one's environment, rather than the opposite, as is so often the case. Managers need to control their own environment, by using self-determination and the ability to respond to various circumstances.
Begin with the end in mind. This means that the manager must be able to see the desired outcome, and to concentrate on activities which help to achieve that end.
Put first things first. A manager must manage his own person. Personally. And managers should implement activities which aim to achieve the second habit. Covey says that habit 2. is the first, or mental creation; habit 3 is the second, or physical creation.
Think win-win. This is the most important aspect of interpersonal leadership, because most achievements are based on shared effort. Therefore the aim needs to be win-win solutions for all.
Seek first to understand and then to be understood. By developing and maintaining positive relationships through good communications, the manager is understood by others, and he can understand the subordinates.
Synergize. This is the habit of creative cooperation: the principle that collaborating towards attaining a purpose often achieves more, than could be achieved by individuals working independently.
Sharpen the saw. We should learn from our previous experiences. And we should encourage others to do the same. Covey sees development as one of the most important aspects for being able to cope with challenges, and for aspiring towards higher levels of ability.

In his 2004 book: "The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness", Covey introduces an additional eighth habit:

Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs. Striving towards "greatness", means to act with integrity as an individual and to help others to do the same. According to Covey, this habit represents the 3rd dimension of his model. Greatness is the overlap of:

Personal greatness. Applying the 7 habits in the forms of: vision, discipline, passion and conscience.
Leadership greatness. Applying the 4 roles of leadership, which are modeling the 7 habits:
- Path finding. Creating the blueprint.
- Aligning. Creating a technically elegant system of work.
- Empowering. Releasing the talent, energy, and contribution of people.
- Modeling. To build trust with others. The heart of effective leadership.
Organizational greatness. This is greatness turned into a vision, mission and values. This brings clarity, commitment, translation, synergy, and enables accountability.

Book: Stephen Covey: Seven Habits of Highly Effective People -

Book: Stephen Covey: The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness -

Seven Habits Forum (20)

Stephen Covey 1932-2012
"It's with great sadness I write that FranklinCovey Company announced the passing of Stephen Covey peacefully this morning due to the residual effects of a bicycle accident he suffered this past April. He was in his 80th year. In his final hours, he was surrounded by his loving wife and each of his children and their spouses."

Principled-centered Leadership
"There seems to be an ongoing debate re who should come first - customer or employee. Yet, I can think of situations when it is family first.
If you were in a high-powered client or employee meeting and suddenly received notice that your spouse just had a heart attack, would you be thinking customer or employee first? Of course not! In fact, if you didn't immediately leave, your client or employees would be wondering why are you still hanging around and what sort of person are you exactly.
We leave because we put principles first. This is the essence behind Stephen covey's principled-centred leadership.
Think of yourself playing several roles in your life - supplier, boss, spouse, friend, etc. These roles evolve around principles or values that are at your core - honesty, integrity, love, respect, and so on.
For a given situation, one of your roles will be more important than the rest. If you follow your principles, your head and heart will know which role to play."

Extra Habit: Spirituality
"Be nice! Be good! Love is a powerful weapon against troubled people. Love and hate are contagious. Select first! Don't fall in dangerous games and keep your mind away from negative influences."

Reasons for the 8th Habit
"Anyone knows why the 8th habit came about. I feel it has to do with all the 7 not having the power of influence, no matter how proactive one remains, in bringing a significant change to the environment. The biggest culprit is the lack of top leadership support.
That's why the 8th talks of the much needed spiritual and cultural elements of the leadership challenge. I really don't know what more can Covey add further to make the crux of leadership meaning and commitment in defining effectiveness, success, greatness, excellence, results, etc."

Implement 7 Habits Across the Organization
"Without effective communication, managers and subordinates have the tendency to misunderstand each other. This often leads to conflict. Managers must try to implement the 7 habits at all levels in an organisation."

Covey's 8th Habit: Expression of a Higher Level of Awareness
"The 7 habits framework can be applied as they are but the 8th habit represents a maturity that is not apparently evident in the first 7 habits. However, I would say that much like a diamond, the 8th habit is but one facet of leadership, but one very important one from the author's perspective... Enough to warrant it a new "habit"."

Extra Habit: Setting and Achieving Goals
"I accept that the good habits are necessary to building positive self-esteem and image, it is a universal truth. The Seven Habits model developed by Mr. Stephen Covey is really practical in human being for successive live and very important for total quality people.
I would like to append one more (9th) habit is that "setting and achieving goals". One should scrutinize their goals and make plans to achieve them. Goals should be consistent with our values."

7 Habits is Road Map to Personal Success
"Stephen R Covey's 7 habits should be a road map to personal success but the habits can be increased to as many as possible to achieve the same goal of personal success."

Effectiveness to Greatness
"I feel being effective alone will not lead to greatness. But being effective and efficient while being also Emotionally Intelligent will lead to greatness. Mr. Covey should take that as a separate topic and throw some light on this for our betterment."

Seven Habits: Reprogram your Mind
"It's never late to learn and apply the seven habits of Covey, because these habits are the only tool to reprogram your mind to travel the path to success."

Accountability of Time and Workforce Output
"Accountability of time in comparision to the output of workforce is to be monitored very strictly in order to achieve the goals."

Extra Habit: Enthusiasm
"I believe the world belongs to the people of enthusiasm. It is our enthusiasm that reflects on our future output."

Tools for being Proactive?
"How to effectively control one's environment in a proactive way?"

I say : Emotion Clouds Reason
"Emotion clouds reason . To be an effective decision maker, a person should put truth and betterment of others above himself."

Habits inhibit Freedom?
"I feel the 7 habits inhibit the freedom to act spontaneously as perceived by the Zen Management approach which demands "Being In The Present"."

Think success, then it will follow...
"Success starts first in the mind, all other steps are simply the embodiment of ingredients that made up this very first mental image. Think success, then it will follow..."

Extra habit: Emotional Intelligence
"I think the best way to have a successful and influential leadership is to add another habit: Emotional intelligence as a habit."

Seven Habits: Followers?
"I wonder, can there be habits for followers as well?"

Seven Habits: Sharpen the saw?
"What is the meaning of: Sharpen the saw?"

Could Working Hard be an Extra Habit?
"Can I add another habit: The attitude to work hard. I find that hard work is one of the most important habits, not found in all persons..."

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