The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey has long been one of my favorite books. I have successfully used the Habits in my career, and have lead sessions to teach others the 7 Habits. Matt Stevens of the Construction Institute recently published a book summary of Covey's classic work and tailored it to contractors. To download a copy of the summary, click here.
In the book, Covey advocates that people take an "inside-out" approach to effectiveness, and align themselves with "True North" principles and character ethic. Covey believes that our charachter is a collection of habits, and these habits consist of knowledge, skill and desire.
For those that are not familiar with Covey's 7 Habits, they are:
Dependence to Independence
Habit 1: Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Choice
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind: Principles of Personal Vision
Habit 3: Put First Things First: Principles of Integrity & Execution
Independence to Interdependence
Habit 4: Think Win/Win: Principles of Mutual Benefit
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: Principles of Mutual Understanding
Habit 6: Synergize: Principles of Creative Cooperation
Continual Improvement
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal
I highly recommend reading the 7 Habits and applying them in your personal and professional life.
