The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

“If I try to use human influence strategies and tactics of how to get other people to do what I want, to work better, to be more motivated, to like me and each other—while my character is fundamentally flawed, marked by duplicity and insincerity—then, in the long run, I cannot be successful. My duplicity will breed distrust.” 

This quote reinforces the author’s basic premise that character drives action. If the character is corrupt, then corrupt actions follow. The consequences are automatic. Personal integrity will result in correct behavior. 

“Did you ever consider how ridiculous it would be to try to cram on a farm—to forget to plant in the spring, play all summer, and then cram in the fall to bring in the harvest? The farm is a natural system. The price must be paid and the process followed. You always reap what you sow; there is no shortcut.” 

While the farm can be seen as a literary analogy, Covey also seems to suggest that it is an exact parallel to character growth. He sees the psyche as an organic part of nature. To change it in any way requires the same care and patience as planting a seed and waiting for it to bear fruit. 

“In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do. We all know it. There are people we trust absolutely because we know their character.” 

This quote reinforces the notion that actions speak louder than words. It also explicitly draws attention once again to the role of character in determining the reaction of others toward us. People subliminally understand communication that masks an attempt to manipulate or control as a falsehood.