Series: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

In Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he begins by ensuring the reader that, after reading the book, they will know how to become “highly effective.” Before diving into the content of each of the 7 habits, Covey has some definitions to make clear.

First, Covey needs to define the first noun in the title: habit. Where he could take the dictionary’s word for it, he applies his own definition, proving his mastery and dedication to the topic. He defines habits as “the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire,” (Covey, 55). He then goes on to describe each of those three components as the “what to do, the how to do, and the want to do,” respectively. Only when you have each of these three things can you form a habit.

“Effective” can also be a word that holds much subjectivity, so Covey tackles this one with an example. He talks about Aesop’s fable of the golden goose, equating the golden eggs to production and the goose to production capability. (For those who need a refresher: a farmer found that his goose had begun laying golden eggs, but grew impatient waiting each day for them to pop out. Because of this, he killed the goose in hopes to collect them all at once, but the goose was empty and he now lost his means of producing golden eggs.) For Covey, effectiveness lies in the balance between production and production capability. If you focus only on the production (the egg), you will lose the goose. Focusing only on the production capability (the goose) without checking on the production will result in the loss of the production. Finding the perfect balance between the two will ultimately bring out both production and production capability, making you effective.

Despite its exclusion from the title, Covey also emphasizes the dependence continuum. Like most leadership and self-improvement books, he places independence above dependence, stating that it’s more effective to be independent than dependent, but he then takes this continuum a step further. He writes that when most people talk about dependence, it’s dependence vs. independence. Those are the only two options. Covey introduces another type of dependence and claims it reigns supreme over both the others: interdependence.

Covey describes interdependence as the intersection between dependence and independence. Like many philosophers (such as Lacan) have said, we are constantly in a dialogue with the world around us. This, to me at least, is very similar to what Covey is getting at here. Independence is great and all, but working with the people around us will ultimately result in the greatest ideas, work, and joy. Covey claims that after establishing his 7 habits, interdependence will come naturally to the reader. Interdependence is one of Covey’s goals in this book.

This series will take you through a very brief summary of each of Stephen Covey’s 7 habits. I hope that you will learn something that you’re able to apply to your life here! If you’re looking for more details, I recommend checking The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People out for yourself.

References

Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. Simon & Schuster, 2020.

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Lucy M.

Undergraduate Intern 2023

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