Habit 1: Be Proactive
- The ability to act rather than be acted on.
- Response-ability – the ability to choose your response.
- We are responsible – response-able to control our lives and to powerfully influence our circumstances by working on be, on what we are.
- “What we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say.”
- “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
- Make and keep a promise.
- A lie is any communication with intent to deceive.
- Don’t base your security on the opinions of others.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
- Envision the end in mind.
- If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take is taking us to the wrong place faster.
- Mission statement: FranklinCovey Mission Statement Builder
- “Measure twice, cut once.”
- “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”
- “Money will be my servant, not my master.”
- “Leadership is communicating to another their worth and potential so clearly they are inspired to see it in themselves.” – Stephen R. Covey
- Manage from the left, lead from the right.
- Discipline comes from disciple—disciple to a set of values, philosophy, and a purpose.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
- It is possible to be busy—very busy—without being effective.
- Management follows leadership; form follows function.
- Status can be measured by how much leisure time you have.
- “The crime which bankrupts men and nations is turning aside from one main purpose to serve a job here or there.” – Emerson
- Set aside time to plan the week.
- “Effective interdependence can only be built on a foundation of true independence.”
- “You can’t have the fruits without the roots.”
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
- Win/Win: I want to win, and I want you to win. Otherwise, no deal.
- “I wouldn’t want to get my way and make you not feel good about it, as it would only surface downstream. On the other hand, I don’t think you would feel good if you got your way and I gave in. Let’s try and find a mutually agreeable deal; otherwise, let’s agree to not make a deal at all.”
- Integrity: The value we place on ourselves.
- Maturity: The ability to express one’s own feelings and convictions balanced with consideration for the thoughts and feelings of others.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
- Seek first to understand, then to be understood—emphatic listening.
- Emphatic listening: fully, deeply understanding emotionally and intellectually.
- Rephrase the content and reflect feeling.
- Diagnose before you prescribe.
- “A lot of times transformation needs no counsel, just space to listen, then the solutions usually get answered during their unravelling.”
- “You want to be able to understand the other person so well that you can say it as well as them.”
Habit 6: Synergy
- Synergy—open up to work with other people. The whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.
- “Good! You see it differently.”
- “I value that difference.”
- “We seek not to imitate the masters; rather, seek what they sought.”
- Every problem is an opportunity.
- 6 Major Deposits to Build the Emotional Bank Account:
- Understanding the individual.
- Attending to the little things.
- Keeping commitments.
- Clarifying expectations.
- Showing personal integrity.
- Apologising sincerely when you make a withdrawal.
- Be loyal to those who are not present so you can build trust with those who are.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
- Exercise 3–6 hours a week.
- Spend an hour every day planning.
- Limit TV.
- Set aside time to plan the week.
- “Treat someone as they can and should be; treat someone as they are, and they shall remain.”
- “All things must be done in moderation. Nothing overmuch.”
- “There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children—one is roots, the other wings!”
- “He who cannot change the fabric of their thought will never be able to change reality.”
- “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”
Additional Insights & Quotes
- “Love her, serve her, sacrifice. Listen to her. Empathise. Appreciate. Affirm her. Love in Hollywood is a feeling. But love is actually a verb.”
- “Leo Roskin: ‘It is the weak who are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong.’”
- “Production / production capability.”
- “Search your own heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life.” – Psalmist