Stephen R Covey passed away yesterday. I didn’t know him but in some funny way, I felt like I did. At least I did know very well what he stood for. Is there anything more important?
I first discovered his legendary 7 Habits book 3 years ago now during a difficult line and in one way or the other, the concepts in the book gave me a way out of the time. The book seemed to point to what was missing in the way I saw things, thought about things and what I needed to do. Thanks to a wiser friend, we didn’t just read the book – we studied it. It was such a deep piece of work that reading it just like I read other books just wasn’t enough.
For the first time in university, I chose to take a 40 day summer vacation that year and this book was my companion. The goal was to read, and then apply. There are so many little tools I use now that have their origins in terms of concept in that book. Covey always encouraged everyone to teach what they really what they learn and I’ve made an effort to pass on the concepts of the book (Sorry, everyone I know) and in the process, digested them myself.
Covey’s book came along at a time when personality development. management and leadership were a rage. He, of course, placed an emphasis on character building and how we could change things by making ourselves more effective. I always find that the difference between good books and great books is that great books give us a framework to view the world. We can choose to test this framework out and see if it makes sense to us, or not.
The 7 Habits does that better than any book I’ve read. And for this approach to studying books as deep as this, I only have a certain wiser friend to thank. If it were just left to me, I would have read a book like this, dismissed it as too preachy and moved on, but the biggest advantage of working and learning from the best is you see what makes them so good. Inspired by this wise friend, I tested out nearly every applicable concept in the 7 Habits book. Some of them didn’t work for me but most of them did.. and I am thankful for that.
Robin Sharma often speaks about a great piece of advice his father gave him. “Never stop reading because someday there will come a book that will change your life..”
In my case, I can say with confidence that the 7 Habits book did change my life. It infused itself into my thinking in a way no other book has, so far. I think actively if I am proactive, if I am beginning with the end in mind, thinking first things first, thinking win-win. seeking to understand and sharpening the saw. It’s amazing – it’s given me a language of sorts to think of my own growth and development.
Stephen Covey passed away surrounded by family and friends, just the way he wanted, knowing he had left behind a legacy as an author and coach that might never be surpassed. I am glad for him.
Thank you Dr Covey, for everything..
A Learning a Day 