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Prof Prakash V Unakal, Sr Associate Dean pays a Tribute to Seven Habits Guru Stephen Covey who passed away on July 16 ,2012 at hometown Idaho Stephen Covey was an American educator, author, businessman and motivational speaker and a professor at the Jon M. Huntsman School of…
Stephen Covey was an American educator, author, businessman and motivational speaker and a professor at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University at the time of his death. He died of complications from injuries he sustained in a bicycle accident three months ago. The death was announced by Franklin Covey, the multimillion-dollar business and leadership consulting firm he co-founded in his home state of Utah.
Stephen Covey had tremendous impact on society in guiding human beings to make choices, deal with chances life throws at them. He had carried out research on successful people and tried to decode what makes them effective. This search of effectiveness eventually went on to become one of the bestselling book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989.It has sold more than 25 million copies in 38 languages since first publication. He was not only pioneered but also changed many lives through is workshops across the globe.
His teachings attend lifelong practise for many who were touched by those thoughts. I would like to share few of his now famous ideas; to begin with the seven habits are “ProactiveEndinMind FirstThingFirst WinWin Seek2undersatnd FirstSynergize and SharpenSaw” in short.
Few gems from his quotes are:
1. “Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.”
2. “We see the world, not as it is, but as we are──or, as we are conditioned to see it.”
3. “To know and not to do is really not to know.”
4. “Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, and underline it. No involvement, no commitment.”
5. “To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions.”
6. “Habit is the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do), and desire (want to do).”
7. “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.
He eventually went on to write a book “Eight Habit” – to discover ones inner passion first and move in enriching it. These teaching are more relevant in today’s global scenario – had financial institutes had kept his simple catchphrases such as win-win; the banks wouldn’t be in economic crisis as they are today.
His teachings are so relevant today even for lives of young person who is graduating from colleges seeking opportunities. ”that public victory can happen only when first private victory happens”, in short believing in own abilities first.
Speaking about his teachings, Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn said “This is not some kind of Big Bang theory, Dr. Covey’s achievement, was a practical action plan for business leaders who no longer wished to be “the man in the grey suit” as they headed into the 21st century.
As Bob Whitman, chairman and CEO of Franklin Covey Co rightly said, “His impact his incalculable and his influence will continue to inspire generations to come.”
May his soul rest in eternal peace !