Stephen Covey

THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE

1. Be proactive.
2. Begin with the end in mind.
3. Put first things first.
4. Think win-win.
5. Seek first to understand.
6. Synergize.
7. Sharpen the saw.

EARLY LIFE 

• Covey was born in Salt Lake City and grew up on an egg farm outside the city.
• His promising athletic career was cut short by degeneration in his legs, causing him to use crutches for three years as a teenager.
• He sometimes preached the Mormon doctrine on Boston Common.

EDUCATION

• Covey entered the University of Utah at 16 and earned a degree in business administration.
• He spent two years in Britain as a Mormon missionary before returning to the United States to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School.
• After another missionary stint, in Ireland, he earned a doctorate in religious education from Brigham Young University. His thesis was on “success literature” in American history.
• At Brigham Young, he became an assistant to the university’s president and began teaching his self-help ideas on campus, drawing as many as 1,000 students in a single class.

PUBLICATIONS

• Covey was a Mormon. Some saw large elements of Mormon theology in his work, though his language was ecumenical.
• He denied any Mormon bias in his books, saying he drew inspiration from the Scriptures and from history’s great thinkers.
• His book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and also became the first audiobook to sell more than a million copies.

• In 1996, Time magazine named Covey one of the 25 most influential Americans.
• Forbes called “Seven Habits” one of the top 10 business management books ever.
• He received 10 honorary doctorate degrees.

FRANKLIN COVEY

• In 1983, he gambled everything he owned on starting the Covey Leadership Center, a training and consulting concern in Provo, Utah.
• In 1997, the Covey Leadership Center merged with Franklin Quest to become the Franklin Covey Company, which now operates in more than 50 countries.