Benjamin Franking as an exponent of this ethos.the “personality ethic”:Ĭharacter ethics: integrity, humility, fidelity, temperance, courage, justice, patience, industry, simplicity, modesty and the Golden Rule. And to change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions.” “If we wanted to change the situation, we first had to change ourselves.Your perception shapes your reality: Examine the lens through which you view the world in order to understand yourself and make effective change.Non-Christian readers may find too many Christian or biblical references. Pros: Covey’s ideas hold up surprisingly well and are still very relevant for the present-day reader.Ĭons: Some of Covey’s anecdotes ramble on for longer than necessary. He does meander at times and is prone to overly long anecdotes, but I can easily recommend this book without hesitation. True to his word, Covey eschews trendiness and quick fixes and successfully delivers timeless advice and wisdom. The final habit, “sharpen the saw,” is about attending to your physical, spiritual, mental and emotional health so that you are able to effectively practice and improve upon the first six habits.ĭespite being published over 40 years ago, 7 Habits remains as relevant as ever for those looking for solid personal development advice. These habits include the adoption of an abundance mindset in our interpersonal interactions (Habit 4: “think win-win”), learning to communicate better through empathetic listening (Habit 5: “seek first to understand, then to be understood”) and cooperating creatively with others by embracing complementary differences (Habit 6: “synergize”). A successful expression of these habits is contingent on an understanding of the initial “Private Victory” habits. Habits 4-6 are the “Public Victory” habits they pertain to our interactions with the outside world. These include ideas of personal responsibility (“be proactive”), long-term planning (“begin with the end in mind”) and effective prioritization and decision-making (“put first things first”). The first three habits are grouped into a section titled “Private Victory.” The goal of habits 1-3 are the improvement of the individual (the "inside"). The majority of the book is structured around this “Inside-Out” idea. This focus on character ethics is part of a concept Covey calls the “Inside-Out approach”: we must work on our character first (the "inside") before we can start to effectively influence others or see the positive manifestations in our life (the "outside").
This is in contrast to “personality ethics” which Covey defines as quick fixes, shallow aphorisms and public image techniques (the sorts of things espoused by most self-help literature). Character ethics are “timeless principles” like integrity, fidelity, courage and justice. To this end, Covey champions a “character ethic” approach to life.
Covey follows that in order to change our reality we must change our underlying beliefs. The book opens with the assertion that perception shapes reality. Covey (1989) is a modern classic in the self-improvement genre. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R.
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