A tribute to the best selling author Stephen Covey.

Stephen Covey, motivational guru and best selling author of books such as the 7 habits of highly successful people, the 8th habit, first things first and several others passed away on July 16th, 2012.

Stephen Covey, 1932 - 2012

Stephen has impacted the lives of several business owners, entrepreneurs and working professionals all over the world in some way or the other. As a tribute to Stephen, we asked our readers to tell us how Covey has impacted their lives.

Beverly Flaxington, Principle at The Collaborative says, Covey’s story in the 7th Habit impacted her dearly where Covey talked about a man on a train with unruly kids and the people in the train who were so irritated with the kids. Ends up the man was coming from his wife’s funeral and the children had just lost their mother. SUCH an impactful story to show how we judge others when we don’t really know them. I share this story all of the time to illustrate how we are quick to judge, but slow to learn, when it comes to other people.

Another reader, Robert Smith said “My pastor told me to read this book when I was 23 years old. At that age I had no idea about business, leadership or life for that matter. Fast forward to age 38 and a husband, father of four and a business with 11 workers. I can agree that Stephen Covey was in a league of his own.”

Carolyn Mattocks, CEO/Founder, I Can Do Anything Organization, Inc says, “Stephen Covey’s first three habits which focus on being proactive, beginning with the end in mind and putting first things first helps one understand the importance of taking responsibility for their life and establishing goals. These critical learning tools from his book has helped me accomplish many things in life. Currently, I have started my own nonprofit called ‘I Can Do Anything’ which focuses on teaching youth about the importance of starting early to learn career success strategies. I have also authored two books in my ‘I Can Do Anything’ series.”

Naomi Elbinger of New Edge Design, LLC says, “Covey’s famous Circle of Influence concept has helped me countless times to just say no and not just do drugs . I’ve made a habit of immediately identifying stressful situations that are outside my circle of influence and withdrawing from any involvement in them. I’ve made a lot of progress in focusing my talents and energies in the areas where I can have an impact. It’s worth reading the 7 Habits for this concept alone.”

It isn’t his books, it is informal information I got from him. I asked him to review my book, Enjoy Life: Healing with Happiness. He wrote a short and meaningful blurb for the book, and let me know that he would never write another 300+ page book. He said that from then on, his books would be around 150 pages. Mine was, so it pleased him. From Steve, I learned to keep it simple. Focus on a single concept and learn a lot about a little. Be a thought leader in a single area. It has made my career in speaking and seminars so much more successful.

- Dr. Lynn Johnson, psychologist, speaker

Charmaine Hammond of Hammond International Inc, says “Stephen Covey’s work provided me with the foundation for the work I do to help facilitate and build healthy, inspired and resilient teams. Transparency, authenticity and value centered work was modeled in Stephen’s writing and I was proud to champion his work to the many clients we worked with corporately. Stephen made a difference in the world. He taught us how to leave a legacy…. his legacy will continue to live on in the thousands and thousands of lives he’s touched.”

I am sure Stephen Covey has inspired thousands and thousands of people all over the world  in some way or the other. I remember attending his seminar in 2006 and was impressed by his energy and fluent speaking style. The one habit that I learned from Stephen was “don’t let other people’s opinions affect you.” This one habit has given me so much peace of mind and the freedom to pursue my dreams without worrying about what other people think about me. Just this one habit is worth it’s weight in gold.

Feel free to share how Stephen Covey has impacted your life in the comments section below.

Some of Stephen Covey’s Books

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness

The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything

Principle-Centered Leadership

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families

Everyday Greatness: Inspiration for a Meaningful Life

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