preview

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People Essay

Decent Essays

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Summary The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a best selling book by Stephen R. Covey. The book has become a management tool for many companies. Covey wrote the book after reviewing literature on success from the last two centuries. Covey discovered that as he reviewed the literature on success, that the most current literature was based mainly on success based on having the “right” personality traits. Covey calls this the “Personality Ethic”. The Personality Ethic focuses more on success being a product of personality traits and maintaining a positive attitude. The author stresses that people need to go back to the “Character Ethic” which is based on what Covey calls “natural laws” that have always existed. The Character Ethic focuses on principles such as fairness, integrity, honesty, human dignity, service and quality. Covey wants people to examine their way of thinking from the “inside out” to see if we are applying the Personality Ethic or the Character Ethic. The Seven Habits Covey explains that habits are “powerful factors in our lives” and he defines habits as “the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire”. (Covey, pg 46-47). Effective habits are defined as internalized principles and patterns of behavior. The Seven Habits that Covey tells the reader about are in harmony with natural laws and therefore, in harmony with the Character Ethic. On the paradigm that Covey has presented to the reader, the bottom

Get Access