Stephen Covey
89 quotes
Biography
"If you carefully consider what you want to be said of you in the funeral experience, you will find your definition of success."
"An empowered organisation is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire, and opportunity to personally succeed in a way that leads to collective organisational success."
"Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships."
"When one side benefits more than the other, that's a win-lose situation. To the winner it might look like success for a while, but in the long run, it breeds resentment and distrust."
"Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall."
"If you want small changes in your life, work on your attitude. But if you want big and primary changes, work on your paradigm."
"You can retire from a job, but don't ever retire from making extremely meaningful contributions in life."
"There are three constants in life... change, choice and principles."
"We are not animals. We are not a product of what has happened to us in our past. We have the power of choice."
"We don't invent our missions, we detect them."
"Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out."
"Courage is not the absence of fear but the awareness that something else is more important."
"Remember, to learn and not to do is really not to learn. To know and not to do is really not to know."
"...when you get a good night's sleep and wake up ready to produce throughout the day."
"Self growth is tender; it's holy ground. There's no higher investment."
"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."
"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply."
"In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do."
"The power to distinguish between person and performance and to communicate intrinsic worth flows naturally out of our own sense of intrinsic worth."
"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."
"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."
"Live the law of love. We encourage obedience to the laws of life when we live the laws of love."
"Give no answer to contentious arguments or irresponsible accusations. Let such things "fly out open windows" until they spend themselves."
"Prepare your mind and heart before you prepare your speech. What we say may be less important than how we say it."
"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."