Inspirational Stephen Covey Quotes

I hope that you will enjoy the following collection of the very best Stephen Covey Quotes.

Stephen Covey was an American author, businessman, and popular keynote speaker. He was also the author of the best selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This wonderful book was named the ‘most influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century’.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has empowered and inspired millions of readers since 1989 and has played a part in the positive transformation of millions of lives, across all age groups and professions.

In 1996, Time magazine named him as one of the 25 most influential people. Stephen Covey was also awarded eight honorary doctorates. I hope that you will enjoy this great collection of Stephen Covey Quotes.

 
Stephen Covey Quotes

 

1. “I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

2. “Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition – such as lifting weights – we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.” – Stephen Covey

 

3. “Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs.” – Stephen Covey

 

4. “Goals are pure fantasy unless you have a specific plan to achieve them.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

5. “Live out of your imagination, not your history.” – Stephen Covey

 

6. “While we cannot always choose what happens to us, we can choose our responses.” – Stephen Covey

 

7. “In relationships, the little things are the big things.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

8. “An empowered organization is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire, and opportunity to personally succeed in a way that leads to collective organizational success.” – Stephen Covey

 

9. “I think the most significant work we’ll do in our whole life, in our whole world is done within the four walls of our home.” – Stephen Covey

 

10. “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

11. “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey

 

12. “You can retire from a job, but don’t ever retire from making extremely meaningful contributions in life.” – Stephen Covey

 

13. “Leadership is a choice, not a position.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

14. “Every human has four endowments – self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom… The power to choose, to respond, to change.” – Stephen Covey

 

Stephen Covey Quotes

15. “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” – Stephen Covey

 

16. “Live, love, laugh, leave a legacy.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

17. “There are three constants in life – change, choice and principles.” – Stephen Covey

 

18. “If I really want to improve my situation, I can work on the one thing over which I have control – myself.” – Stephen Covey

 

19. “The quality of our thoughts determine our actions and our actions develop our habit. Our habit create our character and our character forges our destiny.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

20. “Deep within each of us is an inner longing to live a life of greatness and contribution – to really matter, to really make a difference. We can consciously decide to leave behind a life of mediocrity and to life a life of greatness – at home, at work, and in the community.” – Stephen Covey

 

21. “Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.” – Stephen Covey

 

22. “What you do has far greater impact than what you say.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

23. “Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us.” – Stephen Covey

 

24. “There’s no better way to inform and expand your mind on a regular basis than to get into the habit of reading good literature.” – Stephen Covey

 

25. “Seek to understand before you seek to be understood.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

26. “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” – Stephen Covey

 

27. “If you wish to communicate effectively and to influence others, you would need to understand them first. And understanding can only come from listening.” – Stephen Covey

 

28. “Be a part of the solution, not part of the problem.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

29. “How you treat the one reveals how you regard the many, because everyone is ultimately a one.” – Stephen Covey

 

Inspirational Stephen Covey

30. “To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions.” – Stephen Covey

 

31. “To achieve goals you’ve never achieved before, you need to start doing things you’ve never done before.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

32. “At some time in your life, you probably had someone believe in you when you didn’t believe in yourself.” – Stephen Covey

 

33. “The key is taking responsibility and initiative, deciding what your life is about and prioritizing your life around the most important things.” – Stephen Covey

 

34. “We get results based on what we do, and what we do depends on how we see the world around us.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

35. “If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep getting what we’re getting.” – Stephen Covey

 

36. You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically, to say “no” to other things.” – Stephen Covey

 

37. “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

38. “You can’t change the fruit without changing the root.” – Stephen Covey

 

39. “Don’t argue for other people’s weaknesses. Don’t argue for your own. When you make a mistake, admit it, correct it, and learn from it- immediately.” – Stephen Covey

 

40. “Motivation is a fire from within. If someone tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

41. “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” – Stephen Covey

 

42. “When your mission statement becomes your constitution, the solid expression of your vision and values. It becomes the criterion by which you measure everything else in your life.” – Stephen Covey

 

43. “Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

44. “Start small, make a promise and keep it. Then, make larger promises and keep them.” – Stephen Covey

 

Motivational Stephen Covey Quotes

45. “My experience tells me that people instinctively trust those whose personality is founded upon correct principles.” – Stephen Covey

 

46. “Primary greatness is on the inside. It’s about character.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

47. “Effective people are not problem-minded; they’re opportunity-minded. They feed opportunities and starve problems.” – Stephen Covey

 

48. “A humble person is more concerned about what is right than about being right.” – Stephen Covey

 

49. “A life of integrity is the most fundamental source of personal worth.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

50. “If you want small changes in your life, work on your attitude. But if you want big and primary changes, work on your paradigm.” – Stephen Covey

 

51. “Every time you think the problem is ‘out there’ that very thought is the problem.” – Stephen Covey

 

52. “You and I together are far greater than we are alone.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

53. “Synergy is not only the answer to human conflict; it is also the principle that underlies the creation of every truly new thing in the world.” – Stephen Covey

 

54. “The wonderful thing is, that vision is greater than baggage.” – Stephen Covey

 

55. “Being influenceable is the key to influencing others.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

56. “Most arguments are not really disagreements but are rather little ego battles and misunderstandings.” – Stephen Covey

 

57. “We may be very busy, we may be very ‘efficient’, but we will also be truly ‘effective’ only when we begin with the end in mind.” – Stephen Covey

 

58. “We judge ourselves by our intentions. And others by their actions.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

59. “To the degree people recognize and live in harmony with such basic principles as fairness, equity, justice, integrity, honesty, and trust, they move toward either survival and stability on the one hand or disintegration and destruction on the other.” – Stephen Covey

 

60. “It’s become a status symbol in our society – if we’re busy, we’re important; if we’re not busy, we’re almost embarrassed to admit it.” – Stephen Covey

 

61. “We see the world, not as it is, but as we are – or, as we are conditioned to see it.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

62. “The proactive approach to a mistake is to acknowledge it instantly, correct and learn from it.” – Stephen Covey

 

63. “Basing our happiness on our ability to control everything is futile. While we do control our choice of action, we cannot control the consequences of our choices.” – Stephen Covey

 

64. “Unless you’re continually improving your skills, you’re quickly becoming irrelevant.” – Stephen Covey

 

 

65. “Habit is the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do), and desire (want to do).” – Stephen Covey

 

I hope that you really enjoyed reading these wonderful Stephen Covey Quotes.

The above collection of Stephen Covey quotes remind us of the importance of personal growth, good communication and effective leadership.

His quotes continue to inspire and motivate anyone who is seeking to improve themselves and their relationships with others.

These Stephen Covey Quotes also serve as a powerful reminder for us all to prioritize our values, listen carefully to those around us and to continually work to become the very best versions of ourselves.

 

Unlocking Success: Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”

In the world of personal and professional development, few books have left such an impression on people as Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

First published in 1989, this timeless personal development masterpiece has guided countless people on their journey towards personal and professional growth.

With its powerful principles and practical wisdom, Stephen Covey’s book has become a powerful source of life changing advice, transforming lives and reshaping people’s perspectives on success.

In the summary below we will explore how each habit can empower people to become the very best versions of themselves.

Habit 1: Be Proactive:

Stephen Covey’s first habit urges readers to take charge of their lives. Being proactive means assuming responsibility for our choices, attitudes, and actions.

It encourages people to shift from having a victim mentality to one of empowerment. By recognizing that we all have the freedom to choose our responses to life’s circumstances, we can gain more control over our destiny.

Stephen Covey emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and aligning our actions with our values.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind:

“Begin with the end in mind” is a powerful concept that centers around the idea of personal vision and goal setting.

Stephen Covey encourages readers of this book to define their core principles, values, and long-term objectives. By visualizing our desired destination, we can then align our actions and decisions with our ultimate goals.

This habit helps people to avoid getting caught up in the daily grind and ensures that our efforts are in harmony with our aspirations.

Habit 3: Put First Things First:

Stephen Covey asserts that effective people prioritize their time and energy based on what is truly important.

This habit emphasizes the need to manage our lives proactively by distinguishing between the urgent and the important.

By focusing on activities that contribute to long-term goals and personal growth, we can overcome distractions and achieve a sense of fulfillment.

Stephen Covey introduces the concept of the “time management matrix,” which helps individuals to allocate their time more efficiently and strike a balance between personal and professional spheres.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win:

In an increasingly competitive world, Stephen Covey highlights the importance of embracing a win-win mindset. This habit revolves around the belief that mutually beneficial solutions yield the best outcomes.

By seeking collaboration, empathy, and understanding, people can build strong relationships and trust with others.

Stephen Covey emphasizes the power of effective communication and problem-solving techniques to create win-win situations that can enhance personal and professional connections.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood:

Listening is the cornerstone of Stephen Covey’s fifth habit. He underscores the significance of empathetic listening, which involves seeking to understand others before seeking to be understood.

By genuinely listening and empathizing with others, we can build stronger relationships and create an environment of trust.

Stephen Covey reminds us that understanding others peoples perspectives can enable us to communicate more effectively and find a common ground, even in the face of disagreements.

Habit 6: Synergize:

The sixth habit encourages individuals to embrace collaboration and synergy. Stephen Covey defines synergy as the creation of new possibilities and outcomes that emerge from the combined strengths of a group.

By valuing diversity, open-mindedness, and teamwork, individuals can tap into collective intelligence and achieve remarkable results.

Covey emphasizes the importance of creating an atmosphere that promotes synergy, where creativity and collaboration thrive.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw:

Stephen Covey’s final habit focuses on self-renewal and continuous improvement. Just as a saw must be sharpened to maintain its effectiveness, individuals must continuously invest in personal growth and self-care.

This habit encompasses physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our lives. Stephen Covey urges the readers of this book to engage in activities that will enhance their well-being, such as exercise, reading, reflection, and nurturing relationships. By taking care of ourselves, we can sustain our effectiveness in the long run.

 

Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is a bestselling book that has stood the test of time and continues to inspire people across the globe.

Through its powerful principles, Stephen Covey empowers readers to take charge of their lives, align their actions with their values, and forge meaningful connections with others.

The seven habits provide a solid roadmap for personal and professional growth, emphasizing the importance of proactivity, goal setting, effective communication, collaboration, and self-care.

By embracing these habits, people can unlock their full potential and become highly effective in all aspects of life.

As Stephen Covey himself stated, “To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions.” So, let us embark on this transformative journey and embody these seven habits that can lead to success and fulfillment.