The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Aug 1989) by Stephen R. Covey is one of the most influential self-help books of the late twentieth century. To date, the title has sold over 40 million copies and has been a New York Times bestseller. Covey was named as one of Time Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Americans of 1996. His book is classified under the categories of Business Management, Organizational Behavior, and Personal Success in Business. This study guide refers to the 2020 Kindle edition of the book.

The author was a university professor before becoming a business and life coach. After cofounding the consulting practice of FranklinCovey, Covey continued to consult, lecture, and write until his death in 2012. Many of his subsequent books expand on themes introduced in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In addition to inspirational flashcards and workbooks to reinforce the core principles of the book, Covey also wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families (1997) and Living the 7 Habits (2000). His son Sean wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens (2003). Covey Senior polished his original theory, culminating in The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (2004).