Honoring Stephen Covey: A Mentor’s Legacy (1932-2012)

Now and then, a thought leader transcends age, gender, and time to impact millions of people. Stephen Covey (1932-2012) was such a figure and he’ll be dearly missed.

Covey’s powerful lessons were popularized through his seminal work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In a world of pop culture success gurus who shout about 3-minute secrets to health to wealth, Covey spoke slowly as he grounded us in a life practice that blended personal and professional growth.

Many of us first heard the mantras Win/Win, Empathetic Communication, and Creative Cooperation by reading Covey. Others learned about his dynamic systems through his Principle Centered Leadership and Time Management formulas.

For over 20 years, I’ve tried to build my life and companies on Covey principles like “being of service to others,” “starting with the end in mind” and “sharpening the saw”. Having influenced my life in such a profound way, I’d be remiss if I didn’t pass along his wisdom.

Below are my 3 Favorite Covey Quotes:

Live out of your imagination, not your history.
There are three constants in life … change, choice and principles.
One of the most important ways to manifest integrity is to be loyal to those who are not present. In doing so, we build the trust of those who are present.

In short, Covey gave us a blueprint for personal and professional excellence. His wisdom for principle centered leadership and accountability will forever be the standard to emulate.