Last week FranklinCovey marked what would have been the 94th birthday of its co-founder, Stephen R. Covey, and took a moment to reflect on his enduring legacy.
Author of the global best-seller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Dr. Covey transformed how millions think about leadership, effectiveness, and personal growth. His core belief - that real change begins within - is as relevant now as it has ever been.
At the heart of his philosophy is the conviction that human effectiveness is governed by universal principles - unchanging truths that shape our lives whether we recognise them or not. True progress, he taught, comes not from quick fixes but from aligning our choices with these principles through integrity, responsibility, and a proactive mindset.
Below is a selection of excerpts from Dr. Covey’s writings, each one showing the wisdom that continues to inspire across industries, roles and cultures around the world.
Stephen R. Covey on:
Paradigms
All of us think that we see the world as it is. In fact, we see the world as we are. We project onto the outside world, our environment, the people we associate with, including how we see ourselves. We project out of our own conditioning experiences, our own background, a certain representation, a certain model, a certain set of expectations, a certain assumption on that reality out there. We think that’s the way it is.
Read the full reflection >
“People can't live with change if there's not a changeless core inside them.”
Currents in the Stream
Changes in technology have totally revolutionised our world. The instant communication and rapid transfer of knowledge along the “information highway” have altered everything. The media have aroused expectations and created various models and images in people’s minds. All of this turns the social wheel, which then turns the political wheel, which ultimately affects the economy and international wheels. The powerful social, political, and economic currents have created a white-water environment for everyone in business. Some leaders like to think that “the problem” is in the stream and that “if we only had more (or less) government regulation, more protection, a better social climate, better schools if only the stream were different then we’d be more competitive.”
While conditions might always be better, I focus on the need to have a changeless core so that I can flow with the changes and trends in the stream.
Read the full reflection >
Being Loyal to Those Absent
Many times I have defended people who are absent from meetings. I won’t allow people around me to label and castigate those who are absent. When a glib remark is made, I’ll say, “Wait a minute. That’s not the way we want to talk about people.” I may also point out what good that person has done. I may also be critical of the person, but I would not be ashamed to have the person there. When you defend the integrity of a person who is absent, what does that say to those who are present? It says that you would do the same thing for them. Sure, it takes courage to speak up at the time. It’s much easier to just say nothing. But I believe that if we have a chance to defend others or to speak up for our cherished beliefs and values, we need to do it.
Read the full reflection >
Examples of Servant Leaders
In many organizations I’ve worked in or with, I’ve seen examples of servant leaders who have really made a difference. For example, when I was just 20 years old, I served as an assistant to the president of an organization. One time I asked him, “Why don’t you ever give me any feedback? You never tell me if you like my speeches.” And he said, “Do you want to be dependent upon me? You know within yourself what’s happening. If you want some help, you just ask me. I’m here. “ From then on, I was free of the president. I didn’t have to worry about his reaction. He never praised me or blamed me, but if I wanted help, he’d give it. So I would ask him, “What do you think of this.” He served me as a source of help.
Read the full reflection >
“Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly, that they see it in themselves.”
The Four Human Endowments
As human beings, we have four unique endowments: self-awareness, conscience, independent will, and creative imagination that not only separate us from the animal world, but also help us to distinguish between reality and illusion, to transform the clock into a compass, and to align our lives with the extrinsic realities that govern quality of life.
Read the full reflection >
Want more ideas like these?
Dr. Covey believed real change begins within. The Main Thing helps you put that into practice, one idea at a time. Every week you’ll get a short Covey quote and a few lines on how to apply it at work, all in about a minute.
Subscribe to The Main Thing >
About Stephen R. Covey
Stephen R. Covey (1932–2012) was an educator, author and leadership authority whose work has shaped how organisations around the world think about effectiveness. After earning an MBA from Harvard and a doctorate from Brigham Young University, where he went on to teach, he founded a leadership training centre in Salt Lake City. In 1997 it merged with Franklin Quest to form FranklinCovey, where he served as co-founder and vice chairman. His 1989 book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide, and in 1996 Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential Americans. He died in July 2012, aged 79.