The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1989

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-2

Chapters 3-4

Chapters 5-6

Chapters 7-8

Chapters 9-11

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 1-2Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “Paradigms and Principles”

Chapter 1 Summary: “Inside-Out”

The author begins this chapter by introducing two key concepts and contrasting them to one another. He calls one the Personality Ethic and the other the Character Ethic. Covey says that most people try to solve a problem by modifying some external behavior. Self-help books are full of this kind of advice, yet those who apply such methods find themselves no better off than when they started. In past centuries, before the Personality Ethic became popular, people believed that a positive outcome was dictated by an individual’s inner virtues. This Character Ethic, to which Covey ascribes, insists that external problems can only be resolved by strength of character.

The author cautions that character improvement is an organic process that requires time and effort. The appeal of the Personality Ethic is that it suggests a quick fix, while the Character Ethic makes no such claim. To change one’s character, a person often needs to look at themselves in new ways. As Albert Einstein said, “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them” (42). Covey calls this change of perspective a paradigm shift. To illustrate this concept, he shows the reader two sketches of a female face. Depending on the viewer’s perspective, the images either depict old women or attractive young women.

To create a paradigm shift in one’s perceptions, a person needs to cultivate innate principles. Covey asserts that certain principles are an immutable part of human nature. The most important of these are fairness, integrity, honesty, human dignity, service, excellence, potential, growth, patience, nurturance, and encouragement. He believes that a person must embed these principles in their core paradigms. Otherwise, they cannot achieve a successful life.

All the author’s suggestions are meant to encourage growth from within rather than modifying one’s external behavior to achieve a short-term goal. Covey stresses that this revolution in thinking is what his book is all about. “It’s a principle-centered, character-based, ‘inside-out’ approach to personal and interpersonal effectiveness” (42).

Chapter 2 Summary: “The 7 Habits—An Overview”

This chapter lays the groundwork for the rest of the book by defining the concepts of habit and effectiveness. The author sees the nature of a habit in the following terms:

For our purposes, we will define a habit as the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire. Knowledge is the theoretical paradigm, the what to do and the why. Skill is the how to do. And desire is the motivation, the want to do. In order to make something a habit in our lives, we have to have all three (47).

Covey suggests that in changing our habits, we move along a maturity continuum from dependence through independence to interdependence. He sees interdependence as the goal but appreciates that an individual must move through each phase in the proper order. For that reason, he divides his seven habits into two groups. The first three habits focus on independence and private victories. The last four emphasize interdependence and public victories.

He then goes on to define his concept of effectiveness. He sees it as the intersection between production (P) and production capability (PC). To explain this principle, he uses the story of the farmer and the golden goose. The goose produces one golden egg per day, but the farmer becomes impatient and kills the goose to get all the eggs at once. He essentially destroys the ongoing source of his riches. Covey categorizes assets as physical, financial, or human and believes that the P/PC balance must be maintained in all cases to achieve effectiveness; “It balances short term with long term” (59).

Chapters 1-2 Analysis

We might consider the first segment of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as the book’s road map. The author takes the time to explain how his work differs from other self-help gurus by introducing the basic concepts of the Personality Ethic versus the Character Ethic. In discussing these principles, Covey also introduces the reader to all three of the book’s major themes. That inner change is the root of all progress becomes obvious once he explains the difference between the superficial Personality Ethic and the substantive Character Ethic.

Covey’s frequent use of the word “root” emphasizes the theme that growth is an organic process. Character change doesn’t happen overnight, but change is critical since character represents the root of a personality. All behavior emanates from that root. “We can only achieve quantum improvements in our lives as we quit hacking at the leaves of attitude and behavior and get to work on the root, the paradigms from which our attitudes and behaviors flow” (31).

These chapters also explain why paradigm shifts are the best method to accomplish character change. Covey effectively illustrates this concept by comparing the two sketches of women’s faces. We need a shift in perspective to see both the young and old features in each drawing. It should be noted that intervention is needed by someone else to point out the differences that are masked by the dominant face perceived in the viewer’s mind.

Once Covey explains his basic premise (character) and talks about how to change it (paradigm shift) through a slow process of growth, he discusses the effect that this transformation will have on a person. Everyone is expected to move from the most immature state of dependence toward independence, which culminates in the ideal state of interdependence.