Jose Niño D.

Umali December 9, 2021

FC603 MAED-HBO Dr. Albert Madrigal

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Introduction

The book created by Stephen Covey is a business and self-improvement book. It is written on Stephen
Covey's belief that the way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to
change a given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able
to change our perceptions. Covey presents an approach to being effective in attaining goals by aligning
oneself to what he calls true north principles based on a character ethic that he presents as universal
and timeless.

If time permeated me to read a book or even a book series (like harry potter books, Twilight books, etc.)
I haven’t set any expectations and let the book surprise and amazed me. For this book it really amazed
me. Covey’’s created this book based on his own experience and influence many people who read his
creation.

During his 25 years of working with successful individuals in business, universities, and relationship
settings, Stephen Covey discovered that high-achievers were often plagued with a sense of emptiness. In
an attempt to understand why, he read several self-improvement, self-help, and popular psychology
books written over the past 200 years. It was here that he noticed an entirely historical contrast
between two types of success. 

According to Covey, before the first world war, success was attributed to ethics of character. This
included characteristics such as humility, fidelity, integrity, courage, and justice. However, after the war,
there was a shift to what Covey refers to as the Personality Ethic. Here, success was attributed as a
function of personality, public image, behaviors, and skills. Yet, these were just shallow, quick successes,
overlooking the deeper principles of life.

Covey argues it’s your character that needs to be cultivated to achieve sustainable success, not your
personality. What we are says far more than what we say or do. The character ethic is based upon a
series of principles. Covey claims that these principles are self-evident and endure in most religious,
social, and ethical systems. They have universal application when you value the correct principles, you
see reality as it truly is and this is the foundation of the 7 habits of highly effective people.

Content

The book consists of 7 habits of highly effective people based on the experience of Covey and this are:
Be proactive, Begin with the end in mind, Put first things first, Think win/win, Seek to understand first
before making yourself understood, Learn to synergized and Sharpen the saw.
These 7 habits will look at each of these habits and show how to put them into action to become more
successful in whatever you want to achieve. This is also the core of this book and by means of following
these habits will surely achieve what you want to achieve which for me is very effective, imagine the 25
million copies sold, this number is a right manifestation that this book is highly effective.

The 7 habits itself, the way covey explains and elaborate it makes me understand and realize that there
is no formula to success, which is my belief also. Every habit has a quotation embedded that strikes me
most and these are:

Be Proactive

“It is our wiling permission, our consent to what happens to us, that hurts as far more that what
happened to us in the first place” - Stephen Covey

This means, we must work on the things we can do something about, the positive energy we exert will
cause our circle of influence to expand. Which means we must focus on the circle of concern not in the
circle of influence this can lead to blaming external factors to the point that the negative energy will
emanating that cause the circle of influence to shrink.

Begin with the End in Mind

“It is incredible easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busyness of life, to work harder and
harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover that it’s leaning against the wrong wall” -
Stephen Covey

This means that there is nothing wrong take steps in the ladder of success by working hard just be
cautious along the way to avoid leaning in the wrong wall. For me this is true, there is no elevator to
success we need to take it step by step, but be careful along its way maybe for being focus on our goal
to meet our own success we ever know that it’s a trap and leads us to the wrong wall.

Put First things First

“The challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves” -Stephen Covey
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities” -Stephen Covey

In order to focus our time, we have to learn to say NO to other activities sometimes that seem urgent.
We should always maintain a primary focus on relationship and results, and a secondary on time.

Think win-win

“To go for Win-Win, you not only have to be nice, you have to be courageous” – Stephen Covey
Covey is right! Having a right mind setting and goal is very important. Being nice is good but courage is
the to win and win.

Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood

“You spend years of your life learning how to read and write, years learning how to speak. But what
about listening?” – Stephen Covey

We can’t simply use one technique to understand someone. In fact, if a person senses that we’re
manipulating them, they will question our motives and will no longer feel safe opening up to us.

Synergize

“Without doubt, you have to leave the comfort zone of base camp and confront and entirely new and
unknown wilderness” -Stephen Covey

For this, how can we establish synergy? Starts with the habit 4-5. Must think win-win and self-
understand. We seek first to understand and then we find strength and utility in those different
perspective s in order to create new possibilities and Win-Win results.

Sharpen the Saw

“The more we see people in term of their unseen potential, the more we can use our imagination rather
than our memory” – Stephen Covey

Renewal is the process that empowers us to move along an upward spiral of growth and change of
continuous improvement. The real beauty of the 7 habits is that improvement in one habit
synergistically increases our ability to improve the rest, meaning all habits are important and related to
each other.

Analysis

Stephen Covey is not only focusing on the business sector on this book but also for individual on how to
meet success, because that is the core of this book, success. By belief as a being is quite the same as
what Covey sees and I always says “oo nga ano, he is right” upon reading. My realization on his beliefs
makes me realize also that life is full of challenges and there is no shortcut to achieve or fulfill that
challenge excepts you and you alone. I also realize that the idea of others may help to improve not only
ourselves but us as a comrade and grow together. In my perspective in life after reading this book it
really boosted my perspective an dream in life, I may say that I am doing the right thing in achieving my
goals and I want that spirit in me to keeps burning alive to pursue my dreams and be meet my success
and contentment in life. This book is totally excellent!
I don’t see any weaknesses on this book but more of empowering the readers to enhance more of
themselves, this book must be enhanced more in able for our young generation can relate on this book.
This book is also a guide to be a better being.

By reading this book and based on my deeper understanding, this book molds a person not only for
business but as being also. Upon reading this book it exceeded my expectations and made me realize
that these 7 habits are also an examine of self to improve. The four dimension of renewal is a good
guide to achieve positive outcome in life such as: Physical, Social/emotional, Spiritual and Mental. This
dimensions for me are the pillars for a better guidance.

Covey’s skills in writing are commendable upon on my understanding, he writes this book based on his
own experience and I think that is the thing that his readers amazed. His book can easily understand by
the readers.

Review

I can give this book 10 out of 10, this book deserves perfect score for me. Based on the data of book
being sold it is undeniably effective book to read. I already recommend this book to my colleagues and I
think they are reading it already.