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    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & the 8th Habit
    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & the 8th Habit
    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & the 8th Habit
    Audiobook (abridged)2 hours

    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & the 8th Habit

    Written by Stephen R. Covey

    Narrated by Stephen R. Covey

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The 8th Habit have captivated audiences for nearly three decades. They have transformed the lives of presidents and CEOs, educators and parents—millions of people of all ages and occupations.

    The 7 Habits have become famous and are integrated into everyday thinking by millions and millions of people. Why? Because they work!

    With Sean Covey’s added takeaways on how the habits can be used in our modern age, the wisdom of the 7 Habits will be refreshed for a new generation of leaders.

    They include:
    Habit 1: Be Proactive
    Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
    Habit 3: Put First Things First
    Habit 4: Think Win/Win
    Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
    Habit 6: Synergize
    Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

    But accessing the higher levels of human genius in today’s new reality requires a change in thinking: a new mindset and a new skill-set—in short, a new habit. The crucial challenge of our world today is this: to find our voice and inspire others to find theirs. It is what Covey calls the 8th Habit. The 8th Habit is the answer to the soul’s yearning for greatness, the organization’s imperative for significance and superior results, and humanity’s search for its “voice.”

    Now in one audio edition, you can enjoy all the benefits from two of Covey’s most influential books. With this tried and tested expert advice, we can change the way we think about ourselves, our purpose in life, our organizations, and humankind.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateJan 26, 2012
    ISBN9781442354890
    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & the 8th Habit
    Author

    Stephen R. Covey

    Recognized as one of Time magazine’s twenty-five most influential Americans, Stephen R. Covey (1932–2012) was an internationally respected leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational consultant, business leader, and author. His books have sold more than 40 million copies (print, digital, and audio) in more than fifty languages throughout the world and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was named the #1 Most Influential Business Book of the 20th Century. After receiving an MBA from Harvard University and a doctorate from Brigham Young University, he became the cofounder and vice chairman of FranklinCovey, the most trusted leadership company in the world.

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    Reviews for The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & the 8th Habit

    4/5

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    • 3/5
      Just got back from a great, short trip to Ankara where I've secured housing for my family. But my departure coincided with the end of a road trip and family reunion in Chicago which means I had time to knock out a couple more books before New Years.

      7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey. I had never read Covey's book, but I assume that almost everyone I know who has held some type of leadership or management position has read it as it's probably the all-time bestselling management/leadership book and easily one of the most influential.

      The Seven Habits:
      1. Be Proactive - means not blaming others for your circumstances but owning up to them yourself.
      2. Begin with the End in Mind - Character matters and underlies everything else. You should have a mission statement that sets out your goal. Each day you "flex your proactive muscles" to make it happen.
      3. Put First Things First - Tasks fall into one of four categories and you should focus on the ones that are important but not necessarily urgent. That will help guide your organization and keep things from becoming important and urgent, ie: a crisis.
      4. Think Win-Win - Negotiate hard. It's a little like Adam Smith or David Ricardo's idea that two parties don't enter a transaction unless both benefit. So, maximize your benefit and make sure the other party feels it is winning too.
      5. Seek First to Understand, Then be Understood - This helps generate Win-Win, and is a basic sales technique. Don't expect to get what you want without respecting the other party's wants.
      6. Synergize - Be an effective leader that fosters teamwork and brings out the best in everyone. It's more than the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, but that's the basic idea.
      7. Sharpen the Saw - Take time to rest and do activities that improve your physical health and spiritual well-being.

      I don't know how many hundreds of books are out there that have built on Covey's concepts. There are a lot of basic, timeless truths that he puts simply and I guess that's why this book is so hugely popular. I'd like to put him in a room with Frederick Taylor and see how it goes.

      Reading this book tempts me to size up leaders of organizations by how well they follow the seven habits. I like thinking about the first three the best, particularly in evaluating my time management. Is what I'm doing right now important, and how urgent is it?

      I give it 3.5 stars.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      My dad recommended this to me as a must-read. It had been a revelation for him. But contrary to my dad, who has been a teacher all his life, I've been working in corporate serfdom up to now. And I've been exposed to too many corporate seminars, away days, retreats and other HR outings to find anything in this book a revelation. Maybe all those well-meaning presenters got their input from this very book (in fact, I suspect that a large part of them did), and so I maybe should have read it earlier in my life for me to find it useful. I'd recommend it to people between 25 and 35 who work in large professional environments and score relatively low on emotional intelligence (that would have been me, back in the day). Being over 40, I found the book had a handful of good ideas, but those were eclipsed by the author's style, which I found a little repetitive, trite and sanctimonious. As it stands, I got my main life lessons not from self-help books like this, but from walls (by butting my head repeatedly into them, a slightly more unpleasant but fairly efficient learning method).

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      (original review, 2004)"To learn and not to do is really not to learn. To know and not to do is really not to know.""Love is a verb. Love – the feeling – is the fruit of love the verb or our loving actions. So love her. Sacrifice. Listen to her. Empathize. Appreciate. Affirm her.""At some time in your life, you probably had someone believe in you when you didn't believe in yourself."In “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. CoveyThe above-mentioned quotes are some of the pearls of wisdom we can find in the book.There's a story, probably apocryphal, about an Amazonian tribe's reaction to a group of Westerners (possibly miners or farmers or similar) who had created a settlement close to their village some time in the 1960s. The settlers built a makeshift runway, and the tribe watched from afar in amazement as, shortly after the runway was complete, a plane arrived carrying supplies. The tribe immediately set about building a runway beside their village, believing that once it was complete, a plane would arrive on it with supplies. They had a long, fruitless wait. Obviously, there's a lot that doesn't ring true about this story, however it illustrates well the fruitlessness of adopting other people's actions in the hope of replicating their results, without really sharing or understanding their motivations. Presumably most of the rituals described above have one thing in common; they're the author's own.That's why they worked, they were what the author genuinely felt worked for them, they weren't adopted in an attempt to recreate the conditions of someone else's success. I've a creative friend who drinks whisky in the mornings when he's writing, because that's what Hunter S. Thompson did. He is not and never will be anything like Hunter S. Thompson. The overarching advice from this book should be: find your OWN rituals and routines. Forget about crappy books like these.A friend of mine used to say he could write at any time of the day or night, but there came a point - after about three hours - when he didn't achieve much more by working longer. The best time, he said, is early morning, 5 or 6am. He could look again at something that seemed hard to write the previous evening, and suddenly everything just fell into place... As for myself, I can write any time I'm awake, but nobody would want to read it. Seriously now, I have realised that my most creative and productive hours are 3 -6 am. This is when my genius will fizz and pop, worlds are created, and my art manifests itself, seemingly without effort. At these magical hours, I will become a conduit for creative forces beyond my ken. At this special time, unfortunately, I always seem to be unconscious and dribbling, stretched out amongst bottles, filth and pools of damp... But at the end, don't forget that: "quod natura non dat, Salmantica non praestat". Who could ever forget that...?LOL
    • 4/5
      This is not a quick fix book. I will take time and focus for any of the advice given in the book to make big changes. That said I've just finished the book and noticed some positive changes in myself.

      This book does have "buzzwords" that other reviews have complained about but that is because the book made them that way. People just repeat the words instead of doing the hard work.

      This book does have one flaw the writer talks about not projecting your paradigms on others Covey forgot that not all his readers will be Christian.
    • 5/5
      very inspiring book. this audio version is a short but interesting approach to the seven habits + 8. I definitely recommend it!
    • 1/5
      started off okay but descended into tedious bullshit
    • 5/5
      Wonderful! Very practical, and useful, personally applicable.
    • 5/5
      .كتاب ممتاز يتحدث عن العادات السبع الافضل التي يجب على كل شخص العمل بها ليكون من الاشخاص الناجحين والمؤثرين والفاعلين في حياتهم العملية وتكوين مستقبل أفضلفأنصح الجميع بقراءتة وهومن الكتب المشهورة جدا . Excellent book about the seven habits is better that each person should work out to be successful and influential actors and people in their working lives and a better future I advise everyone to read it and Humen very famous books.
    • 4/5
      Although many people discount this book for being based on pedestrian examples, I found the core meaning quite good. If you ignore the out of date metaphors and relationships represented in the book, I think a lot can be understood.
    • 3/5
      Summary: A grab bag of good advice on how to get your life organised

      Things that were good:

      * Several of the ideas in this book have stuck with me and continued to be referenced throughout my career/personal life

      Things that could have been better:

      From memory, it comes off as a bit Christian/family-values which might turn a few people off. Perhaps he could have de-emphasized some of those elements to make the book more relatable for people that don't share his background.


      Highlight: Emotional bank account is probably one of the ideas that I've got the most leverage out of.
    • 4/5
      هو كتاب يتحدث عن الاعتماد على الذات وركز على سبع مبادىء اذا طبقهم الشخص فقد تساعدة على ان يكون شخصاً أكثر فعالية ، كما أكد الكاتب على أنه من الممكن تحقيق ذلك عن طريق المداومة هذه المبادئ تمنحنا الأمان بالتكيف مع التغيير إلى جانب الحكمة والقدرة على الإفادة من الفرص التي يتيحها التغيير يعد هذا الكتاب "العادات السبع للناس الأكثر فعالية"، من أكثر الكتب مبيعاً في أميركا وذلك لما يعرضه المؤلف من معالجات شاملة متكاملة وواضحة المبدأ تساعد في حل المشاكل الشخصية والمهنية وفي كل مرة تعيد قراءة هذا الكتاب تكتشف رؤية ثاقبة جديدة مما برهن على ما ينطوي عليه من دعوات تتميز بالعمق والرسوخ. إن رشاقة الأسلوب، والفهم العميق لأغوار الاهتمامات البشرية، ومدى احتياجنا إليه في أمورنا التنظيمية والشخصية، تجعل هذا الكتاب الرائع جدير بأن يغير مجرى حياتك.Is a book that talks about self-reliance and focused on the seven principles if Tabatha person has to help him be more effective people, as the author emphasized that it is possible to achieve this by pollutants such principles give us the security to adapt to change, along with the wisdom and the ability to take advantage of opportunities offered by the change is the book "the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," a best seller in America books, so why presented by the author of an integrated and clear principle comprehensive treatments help in solving personal and professional problems and each time re-read this book discover new insight into the vision which proved it entails invitations featuring depth and firmness. The agile method, and deep understanding of the depths of human concerns, and how we need to in organizational and personal things for us, make this a wonderful book deserves to alter the course of your life.
    • 5/5
      This book has something for everyones self development. Do you want to remake yourself into a better person, improve your relationship with a spouse, develop better communication skills with you kids, refine your business expertise, enhance your leadership capabilities, prioritize your life, I could go on and on. To quote the book, you learn, that the gate to change can only be opened from the inside. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is very well written, There are stories, examples, forms, diagrams and even interactive areas within the book to help you understand concepts. The book breaks down how to be effective in whatever goal you choose. You learn how to prioritize, expand listening skills (great to help you understand your children and spouse), why you must admit mistakes, and how what you say impacts others. By the end of the book you will understand how to develop good attitudes and a winning behavior. I highly recommend his book.
    • 1/5
      I haven't finished this book yet. I want to know how he got to his position of IBM CEO, not about his mid life crisis.
    • 5/5
      Learned how valuable time is wasted on things that seem urgent, but not important. Now I manage my time along the principles in this book. I allocate time based on my values and goals and less on the demands of others--far, far less on those who don't value my time.
    • 4/5
      It's a classic. So many books have been based off of the core values set in this book so if you've read any productivity, self help, leadership, or anything similar you're likely to know some of the content in this book.

      I like to occasionally go "back to the basics" or hit the classics as a reminder of some of the things I can/should be doing to be a better business person or a family man and I tend to find this book helps me reset my habits. That's not a bad thing at all.
    • 4/5
      This book was important for me because it inspired me when I was becoming a coach. It also reinforces the important lessons about the importance of discipline in becoming successful.
    • 4/5
      Great book with valuable, motivating info. A little heavy on the case studies, but otherwise very helpful.
    • 4/5
      A great book. It invites us to think deeply about our goal in life and cultivate habits that will aid us in achieving it across all our life roles.
    • 5/5
      This book is always a good one to re-read. The habits are really common sense, but sometimes you need to sit down and remember them.
    • 5/5
      One of my favorite non-fiction books
    • 5/5
      Summary: Let's face it. Apply every true principle in this book and you can't help but be living life to it's very fullest. This book will be just as true and important 100 years from now as it is today.
    • 4/5
      Great book. Learn a lot about being a better business person AND a better person in general.
    • 3/5
      THis audio book was well produced, but like many of these self-help type books, if this is really your cup of tea, you'd probably be better off with the dead tree version.
    • 3/5
      I have read this book numerous times and come away convicted to work harder at being more effective every time I read it. I think that the content and principles in this book are, for the most part, spot on and very helpful. The deficit that this book carries is that these are seven habits for a very specific personality group and mindset. If you are a flighty, creative type save yourself the frustration of trying to cram yourself into a different shaped mold. Read it once, figure out a personal application, and then turn it into paper mache.
    • 3/5
      Good information on becoming a successful person. Covey covers habits that can help anyone in either their personal or professional life. The only issues I have with the book is the use of metaphors, anecdotes, and the over-all verbosity. I would have appreciate the book more as a tool if he had kept it simple.
    • 4/5
      I read this because I saw this as one of the central works in thinking about management and leadership. The content is engaging and in my opinion the advice in general enough form to be sound.
    • 4/5
      Over the almost 10 years that I've owned this book, I've started it about 4 times. I am proud to say that earlier this week, I can finally say that I have completed it! Overall, I thought the book has invaluable concepts and advice to all people, regardless of industry and occupation. However, as I’ve been reading Covey's book, I can’t help but make parallels to other business books and concepts that I’ve been exposed to over the years. I feel that Stephen Covey’s ideas are the “Effectiveness 1.0” and that many of the other business books and theories have borrowed and expanded upon his original concepts. This is a great book for anyone to read or at least become familiar with the concepts so that they can lead better more efficient lives.
    • 5/5
      I've read this book so many times - it's a really good combination of professional and personal development. Examples are a teensy bit dated, but the principles are universal and evergreen. I'll read it again.
    • 5/5
      Deserved Classic

      I somehow managed to miss this one. So far, it's really thought-provoking. I'm a big believer in taking responsibility for your own life, so lots of it is resonating with me.

      Update: finished it yesterday. Some real pearls of wisdom here. I'm already putting some of the listening techniques to good use. A bit repetitive in places, but I can see why it's a classic.
    • 5/5
      This book is simply amazing. I'm even inclined to say that I enjoyed it more than "Think and Grow Rich," which I thought was impossible to beat. I highly recommend it. Full of wisdom, insights on family values, personal leadership and so much more, this book should be required reading for all.