Bestselling Author Stephen Covey Gone, But Not Forgotten

Have you read the classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey? Millions have and millions more should. I read it in the early 90s and found it to be an important book in my career and personal growth.  Hailed by Fortune 500 CEOs and US presidents, Covey’s lifetime of work has not gone unnoticed but now the legend behind the mega best-seller is dead. Biking accident. He was 79.

I had the pleasure of promoting one of his later books for a radio tour about a dozen years ago. The firm I work for, Media Connect (called Planned Television Arts at the time) was hired by his publisher to promote one of his books – the title escapes me. I recall it being one of the easiest tours I ever booked – but all of the stations that participated were No. 1-rated stations within top-ranked cities. He deserved and commanded such attention and respect. He really was one of the most influential people of the last quarter of the last century.

Covey, with 52 grandchildren, was named in 1996 as one of Time magazine's 25 most influential Americans. 7 Habits came out in 1989 and has sold over 25 million copies worldwide. According to Wikipedia, the audiobook version is the first non-fiction audiobook to sell a million copies in the US.

So what are the 7 habits?

• 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

Time will tell how long his legacy will live beyond his lifetime but I suspect this book will remain a classic for at least another generation or two.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person.