Synergize? When I first read The 7 Habits, this idea of synergize lacked clarity for me. Covey subtitles this chapter on synergy as Principles of Creative Cooperation. As I incorporated the first five habits into my life, though, synergy appeared in my life. As I worked to put my ideas into action, solutions to setbacks […]

There are four basic types of communication: Reading and writing, listening and speaking. Most of our days are spent communicating in some form or the other. Our school days are filled with learning to become better readers and writers, but how much time do we spend in learning to become more effective listeners to understand […]

One of the habits of highly effective people is to think win/win. In our building of relationships there is a fundamental idea that comes into play: We cannot create interdependent connections until we have established independence in ourselves.  The first three habits help us develop independence: Be Proactive Begin With The End In Mind Put […]

In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey tells us that time management is a misnomer. Our challenge is not to manage time but to manage ourselves. Our focus should be on enhancing relationships and accomplishing results instead of focusing on things and time. Covey says that our activities can be categorized into […]

Begin with the end in mind. A simple yet profound idea. How many of us would start to build a house without having a detailed blueprint?  But many of us go through life without much of a plan. Begin with the end in mind is a habit to help us be more effective in our […]

Recently I made a list of books that I felt had been pivotal in my growth as a leader. Needless to say, Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People made that list. In early 1989 my husband, Mark, came home one evening telling me he had been in a corporate training session that day […]