Reading List

Table of Contents

ISBN:

0743269519

Format:

Paperback, 384 pages

Publish Date:

November, 2004

Publisher:

27

Other Format(s):

Hardcover, Audiobook

With more than 15 million copies sold at last count, this 1989 best-seller continues to attract new followers with its sagely pointers to living the successful life. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is an integrated, holistic approach to solving personal and professional problems by becoming “principle-centered.” This is a revolutionary guidebook to achieving peace of mind within and building trust without by seeking the roots of human behavior in character and by learning principles rather than merely practices. With pointed anecdotes and penetrating insights, Stephen Covey reveals how our actions follow from who we are. Self-defeating behavior – at home or at work – can be eradicated by following the “habits” of the title. Covey shows how these habits are not a “quick fix” but rather a step-by-step pathway to the principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity that give us the security to adapt to change in our family and business lives – as well as the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities such change creates.

What elevates Covey’s work above the crowded field of personal-development books—and what makes it a standout selection from said field for the military professional—is the importance the author places on character – “character” as opposed to “personality. And, while the seven habits are universally applicable—they include, among others, “Be proactive,” “Begin with the end in mind,” “Think win/win,” and “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”—they also provide a useful roadmap for a successful military career.