Stephen Covey

Stephen R. Covey (born October 24, 1932 in Salt Lake City, Utah) wrote the best-selling book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Other books he has written include First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families. In 2004, Covey released, The 8th Habit. In 2008, Covey released The Leader In Me—How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Child at a Time

Education

Covey holds a BSc degree in Business Administration from University of Utah in Salt Lake City, an MBA from Harvard University, and a Doctor of Religious Education (DRE) in LDS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Church History and Doctrine from Brigham Young University. He also holds membership of the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity.

Books

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey's best-known book, has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide since its first publication in 1989. (The audio version became the first non-fiction audio-book in U.S. publishing history to sell more than one million copies.) Covey argues against what he calls "The Personality Ethic", something he sees as prevalent in many modern self-help books. He instead promotes what he labels "The Character Ethic": aligning one’s values with so-called "universal and timeless" principles. Covey adamantly refuses to confound principles and values; he sees principles as external natural laws, while values remain internal and subjective. Covey proclaims that values govern people’s behavior, but principles ultimately determine the consequences. Covey presents his teachings in a series of habits, manifesting as a progression from dependence via independence to interdependence.

Follow-ups to the The Seven Habits

Follow-up titles to The Seven Habits aim both to add to the original and to form a cohesive philosophy on personal, principle-based leadership. They come in the format of audio books as well (such as the title Beyond The 7 Habits). Covey has also written a number of learning-books for children. His son, Sean Covey, has written a version for teens: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. This version simplifies Covey's 7 Habits for younger readers to better understand them.

The 8th Habit

In 2004, Covey's book The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness was published. It functions as the sequel to The Seven Habits. Covey claims that effectiveness does not suffice in what he calls "The Knowledge Worker Age". He proclaims that "[t]he challenges and complexity we face today are of a different order of magnitude." The 8th habit essentially urges: "Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs..."

The Leader In Me

In November 2008, Covey released a new book The Leader in Me—How Schools and Parents Around the World are Inspiring Greatness, One Child at a Time. This book tells the story of how extraordinary schools, parents and business leaders are preparing the next generation to meet the great challenges and opportunities of the 21st Century. The Leader in Me shows how one elementary school in Raleigh, North Carolina decided to try incorporating The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and other basic leadership skills into their school’s curriculum in unique and creative ways. Inspired by the amazing success of Principal Muriel Summers and the teachers and staff of A.B. Combs Elementary School in Raleigh, other schools and parents around the world have adopted the approach and have seen remarkable results.^[1]

Other projects

FranklinCovey

Covey established the "Covey Leadership Center" which, in 1997, merged with Franklin Quest to form FranklinCovey, a global professional-services firm and specialty-retailer selling both training and productivity-tools to individuals and to organizations. Their mission statement reads: "We enable greatness in people and organizations everywhere".

In 2009, Covey launched a career development webinar series to help people struggling in the economic downturn. He plans to offer timely and current topics on a regular basis.^{[citation needed]}

The Stephen Covey Online Community

In March 2008 Covey launched the Stephen Covey's Online Community. The site is a mash up of online courses, goal management and social networking. Covey uses it as a place to teach his most recent thoughts and ideas on current topics and self leadership, his books as well as goal setting and reaching. The content is shared via videos, podcasts, printable text and online activities. Users are also able to set personal goals, track their progress and share their progress with others within the community.

Personal

Family

Covey lives with his wife Sandra and their family in Provo, Utah, home to Brigham Young University, where Dr. Covey taught prior to the publication of his best-selling book. A father of nine and a grandfather of fifty-one with his wife, he received the Fatherhood Award from the National Fatherhood Initiative in 2003.

Religion

Covey is a practicing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served a two-year mission in England for the LDS Church.^[2] In July 1962, Covey served as the first president of the Irish Mission of the Church starting in July 1962.^[3]

When Covey studied as an MBA student at Harvard, he would on occasion go and preach to crowds on Boston Common.^[4]

Covey has authored several devotional works for Latter-day Saint or Mormon readers, including:

• Spiritual Roots of Human Relations (1970)
• The Divine Center (1982)
• 6 Events: The Restoration Model for Solving Life's Problems (2004).

Evangelical writer Bill Gordon suggests that Mormon theology and cultural practices undergird Covey's writing for a general audience.^[5] Covey says he "never introduces religion or politics into his books or worldwide seminars".^[6]

Honors and awards

• The Thomas More College Medallion for continuing service to humanity^[7]
• The National Entrepreneur of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership^[7]
• The 1994 International Entrepreneur of the Year Award^[7]
• One of Time Magazine's 25 most influential Americans of 1996^[7]
• The Sikh's 1998 International Man of Peace Award^[7]
• 2003 Fatherhood Award from the National Fatherhood Initiative^[8]
• 2004 Golden Gavel award from Toastmasters International^[9]
• Accepted the inaugural Corporate Core Values Award from the California University of Pennsylvania on behalf of the FranklinCovey Corporation^{[citation needed]} at the "national Franklin Covey Conference" (December 2006).^[10]
• Will be inducted into the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum Hall of Fame on November 14, 2009^[11]
• Maharishi Award from Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa

Bibliography

• Spiritual Roots of Human Relations (1970) (ISBN 0-87579-705-9).
• The Divine Center (1982) (ISBN 1-59038-404-0).
• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (1989) (ISBN 0-671-70863-5).
• Principle Centered Leadership (1992) (ISBN 0-671-79280-6).
• First Things First, co-authored with Roger and Rebecca Merrill (1994) (ISBN 0-684-80203-1).
• Living the Seven Habits (2000) (ISBN 0-684-85716-2).
• 6 Events: The Restoration Model for Solving Life's Problems (2004) (ISBN 1-57345-187-8).
• The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (2004) (ISBN 0-684-84665-9).
• Quest: The Spiritual Path to Success by Stephen R. Covey (Editor) (1997), with Thomas Moore, Mark Victor Hansen, David Whyte, Bernie Siegel, Gabrielle Roth and Marianne Williamson. Simon & Schuster AudioBook ISBN 9780671574840
• The Leader in Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Child At a Time (2008) (ISBN 1-43910-326-7).

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Stephen Covey

• Stephen Covey's official site
• FranklinCovey's official site
• ISSSP Profile
• IMNO Interview of Stephen R. Covey
• Global Dharma Center's interview with Stephen Covey on Spiritual Based Leadership
• A Direct Interview with Steven Covey