All 4 key dimensions – Physical, Spiritual, Mental, Social/Emotional – are interrelated and must be renewed in a balanced way. This is the habit of self-renewal, and has a synergistic impact on all the other habits. It’s about acknowledging that people are all ‘correct’ in their different perspectives, and are prepared to “value this difference”, you gain new knowledge and understanding of reality, and open up Third Alternatives. This is the habit of creative co-operation, where “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. This is opposed to how most people listen – with the intent to speak or respond They are still in their own frame of reference, not that of the other person’s. Emphatic listening represents an entire paradigm shift because it is not about applying listening skills, but “listening with intent to understand”. This is the habit of communication, and it is built on emphatic listening. Habit 5: Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood Check out the 5 dimensions to achieve win-win highlighted in our complete summary. Where a win-win solution cannot be reached, consider agreeing to disagree amicably, rather than “force” a deal. Win-win is a mind-set and philosophy built on an approach of achieving mutual benefit for the parties involved. This is the habit of interpersonal relationship. Covey shares the time-management matrix and how to effectively manage your time using 6 key principles. This is where you exercise willpower and discipline, to organise and implement activities that translate your goals into reality. With clear priorities identified and created mentally (Habit 2), you move into the habit of personal-management. To get started, you’ll need to start by examining your center and developing your personal mission statement. This is important because everything happens first in your mind before becoming reality in the physical form. It is about having a clear vision in your mind on your end destination and goals. This is the habit of personal leadership. To be proactive, you should take the initiative, choose proactive language and focus on your Circle of Influence. This essentially means to take full responsibility for your lives and choices. Please refer to our full 9-page version of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People summary for more details. Renewal: Habit 7 creates an upward growth spiral as you continually renew and grow yourself and hone the 6 previous habits.Independence => Interdependence: Habits 4-6 shift how you interact with others, to form trusting relationships with healthy emotional bank accounts.Dependence => Independence: Habits 1-3 provide your “Private Victories” as you develop your character and self-mastery.Each habit sets the foundation for the next level: The habits are progressive in nature, though there’s no need to perfect one habit before moving on to the next. This goes beyond merely improving one’s skills or knowledge, but deals fundamentally with who you are, or who you become as an individual. A central idea of his book is to improve P/ PC from “inside-out”, i.e. To become more effective, you need to increase your Production (of desired results) and Production Capacity (the capacity to deliver such results).
In this free version of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People summary, you’ll learn the 7 habits and explain various powerful management and productivity tools from this book. Covey’s 7 habits are defined based on a review of some 200 years of success literature, and his ideas still form the foundation for many personal development books and programs today. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey presents a holistic and principle-centered approach to achieve success through positive change from within.