Stephen Richards Covey / 1932–2012 / Utah, USA / Businessman, Educator, Author
Accusations
Give no answer to contentious arguments or irresponsible accusations. Let such things “fly out open windows” until they spend themselves.
Stephen R. Covey, Principle-Centered Leadership (1990).
Character
Our capacity for production and enjoyment is a function, in the last analysis, of our character, our integrity.
Stephen R. Covey, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (2004).
Communicating
In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do.
Stephen R. Covey, Principle-Centered Leadership (1990).
Prepare your mind and heart before you prepare your speech. What we say may be less important than how we say it.
Stephen R. Covey, Principle-Centered Leadership (1990).
The power to distinguish between person and performance and to communicate intrinsic worth flows naturally out of our own sense of intrinsic worth.
Stephen R. Covey, Principle-Centered Leadership (1990).
Courage
Courage is not the absence of fear but the awareness that something else is more important.
Stephen R. Covey, “Foreword,” in Alex Pattakos, Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl’s Principles at Work (2004).
Free Will
Unless we exercise our power to choose wisely, our actions will be determined by conditions. Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us.
Stephen R. Covey, Principle-Centered Leadership (1990).
Integrity in the Moment of Choice: Quality of life depends on what happens in the space between stimulus and response.
Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, and Rebecca R. Merrill, First Things First (1994).
The Moment of Choice: A moment of choice is a moment of truth. It’s the testing point of our character and competence.
Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, and Rebecca R. Merrill, First Things First (1994).
Because of the space between stimulus and response, people have the power of choice; therefore, leaders are neither born nor made—meaning environmentally trained and nurtured. They are self-made through chosen responses, and if they choose based on principles and develop increasingly greater discipline, their freedom to choose increases.
Stephen R. Covey, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (2004).
Leadership and Management
Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.
Reported by Paul G. Schempp in Teaching Sport and Physical Activity: Insights on the Road to Excellence (2003).
Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.
Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989).
Learning and Teaching
Remember, to learn and not to do is really not to learn. To know and not to do is really not to know.
Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989).
Let natural consequences teach responsible behavior. One of the kindest things we can do is to let the natural or logical consequences of people’s actions teach them responsible behavior. They may not like it or us, but popularity is a fickle standard by which to measure character development. Insisting on justice demands more true love, not less. We care enough for their growth and security to suffer their displeasure.
Stephen R. Covey, Principle-Centered Leadership (1990).
Life Mission
We don’t invent our missions, we detect them.
Reported by Hyrum W. Smith, What Matters Most: The Power of Living Your Values (2000).
Listening
Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.
Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989).
Love
Live the law of love. We encourage obedience to the laws of life when we live the laws of love.
Stephen R. Covey, Principle-Centered Leadership (1990).
Personal Growth
Live out of your imagination, not your history.
Reported by Eric Allenbaugh in Wake-Up Calls: You Don’t Have to Sleepwalk Through Your Life, Love, or Career! (1992).
Self growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no higher investment.
Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989).
Principles
Principles are universal—that is, they transcend culture and geography. They’re also timeless, they never change—principles such as fairness, kindness, respect, honesty, integrity, service, contribution. Different cultures may translate these principles into different practices and over time may even totally obscure these principles through the wrongful use of freedom. Nevertheless, they are present. Like the law of gravity, they operate constantly.
Stephen R. Covey, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (2004).
Prioritizing
The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989).
Retirement
Retire from your job but never from meaningful projects. If you want to live a long life, you need eustress, that is, a deep sense of meaning and contribution to worthy projects and causes, particularly your intergenerational family.
Stephen R. Covey, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (2004).
Selfless Service
Perform anonymous service. Whenever we do good for others anonymously, our sense of intrinsic worth and self-respect increases. . . . Selfless service has always been one of the most powerful methods of influence.
Stephen R. Covey, Principle-Centered Leadership (1990).
Spiritual Intelligence
Spiritual Intelligence represents our drive for meaning and connection with the infinite.
Stephen R. Covey, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (2004).
Time Management
We present a dramatically different approach to time management. This is a principle-centered approach. It transcends the traditional prescriptions of faster, harder, smarter, and more. Rather than offering you another clock, this approach provides you with a compass—because more important than how fast you’re going, is where you’re headed.
Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, and Rebecca R. Merrill, First Things First (1994).
Trust
Trust is the glue that holds everything together. It creates the environment in which all of the other elements—win-win stewardship agreements, self-directing individuals and teams, aligned structures and systems, and accountability—can flourish.
Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, and Rebecca R. Merrill, First Things First (1994).
Vision and Values
It’s not enough to have values without vision; you want to be good, but you want to be good for something. On the other hand, vision without values can create a Hitler. An empowering mission statement deals with both character and competence; what you want to be and what you want to do in your life.
Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, and Rebecca R. Merrill, First Things First (1994).
Values are social norms — they’re personal, emotional, subjective, and arguable. All of us have values. Even criminals have values. The question you must ask yourself is, Are your values based upon principles? In the last analysis, principles are natural laws — they’re impersonal, factual, objective and self-evident. Consequences are governed by principles and behavior is governed by values; therefore, value principles!
Stephen R. Covey, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (2004).