The 7 Habits of

Highly Effective People

STEPHEN COVEY

The 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People

There is no real excellence in all this world

which can be separated from right living
(David Starr

Jordan)

Paradigm is the way we perceive, understand &

accordingly interpret and judge things. A mental
map.

Can we create a
HABIT?

We are what we repeatedly do

Habits are learned and unlearned

Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit

Habit 1
BE PROACTIVE
Proactive

people:

Reactive people:

Behavior

Behavior
is
the
product
of
ones
condition based on
feelings

Personal

Unhappy
people
who feel victimized,
who focus on the
weaknesses of other
people

Blame other people

and circumstances

is
the
product of ones
decision based on
values
leaders &
Take the initiative

Successfully

handle
direct, indirect and
no control problems

Habit 1
BE PROACTIVE
Reactive Language

Proactive Language

There's noting I can do

Lets look at our alternations

Thats just the way I am

I can choose a different approach

He makes me so mad

I control my own feelings

They wont allow that

I can create an effective presentation

I cant

I choose

I must

I prefer

If only

I will

Habit 1
BE PROACTIVE
Circle of

Circle of Influence

Concern

No Concern

Circle of

Circle of Influence

Concern

PROACTIVE FOCUS

REACTIVE FOCUS

(Positive energy enlarges

the Circles of Influences)

(Negative energy reduces

the Circles of Influences)

Habit 2

BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND

Start with
destination

clear

understanding

of

Picture deeply what kind of husbands, wife,

father or mother would you like to be?

What kind of friend or working associate?

WHY?
Mental

Creation Precedes Physical Creation

your

Circle of Concern
Circle of Influence

Choose a life center:

Work

Family

Spouse/Husband

Friend

Religion

Self

Pleasure

Possessions

Money

Enemy

Habit 3
Put First Things First
Two Factors to Define Any Activity

Urgency - An activity is urgent if you or others

feel that it requires immediate attention.

Importance - An activity is importance if you

personally find it valuable, and if it contributes to
your mission values, and high-priority goals.

Time management matrix

I - Procrastinator
Urgent
Important

III Yes Man

Urgent
Not Important

2-Prioritizer
Not Urgent
Important

IV - Slacker
Not Urgent
Not Important

Habit 4 THINK WIN/WIN

Six Paradigms of human
interactions:

Win/win

Win/lose

Lose/win

Lose/Lose

Win

Win/win or no deal

Habit 5
SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND THEN TO BE
UNDERSTOOD
Four

common levels for listening:

Ignoring:

Making no effort to listen

Practice

pretending: Making believe or giving the

appearance you are listening

Practice

selective listening: Hearing only the parts

of the conversation that interest you.

Attentive

listening: Paying attention and focusing

on what the speaker says, and comparing that to
your own experiences.

Habit 5
SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND THEN TO BE
UNDERSTOOD

Seek first to understand: Fifth level: Empathic

listening (most effective level):

Requires high levels of consideration

Deep understanding of the problem first

Its listening with intent to understand (changing our

perceptions)

Get inside another persons frame of reference and see

things the way he sees it

It ensures peoples psychological survival (psychological

air)

It is diagnosing before prescribing

Habit Six - Synergize

The Habit of Creative Cooperation
Synergy
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Synergy takes place when two or more people
produce more together than the sum of what
they could have produces separately.
Deeply understanding each other becomes the stepping stones
to synergy.

Identifying a 3rd synergistic alternative that will be better for everyone

Habit Six - Synergize

The Habit of Creative Cooperation

Jealousy
Anger
Defensiveness

Ego
Fear

Fixation

Habit 7 - SHARPEN THE SAW

Sharpen the Saw is a daily process of renewing for four
dimensions of our nature : Physical, Mental, Spiritual
and Social / Emotional.
PHYSICAL
Exercise, Nutrition,
Stress Management

SOCIAL
Service, Empathy,
Synergy,

MENTAL
Reading, Visualizing,
Planning, Writing
SPIRITUAL
Value Clarification &
Commitment, Study &
Meditation

PARADIGM SHIFTS
A BREAK FROM
TRADITIONAL WISDOM

Habit 1

Habit 3

Reactive to the tyranny of the urgent.

Acted upon by the environment.

We are a product of our choices to our

environment and upbringing.
Values are self-chosen and provide
foundation for decision making. Values
flow out of principles.
Actions flow from that which is
important.

Habit 4

Win-lose.
One-sided benefit.

Win-win.
Mutual benefit.

Habit 5

Fight, flight, or compromise when

faced with conflict.

Communication solves problems.

Habit 6

Differences are threats.

Independence is the highest value.
Unity means sameness.

Differences are values and are

opportunities for synergy.

Habit 7

Burnout on one track - typically work. Continuous self-renewal and selfimprovement.

Habit 2

We are a product of our environment

and upbringing.

TOWARD
7 HABITS PRINCIPLES

Society is the source of our values.

CONCLUSION
The 7 habits of highly effective
people is an integrated, principle
centered approach for solving our
personal and professional problems
Principles that give us the security to
adapt to change and the wisdom and
power to take advantage of the
opportunities that change creates.