FranklinCovey and Simon & Schuster Release New Edition of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, With Personal Insights from Son, Sean Covey

Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE:FC), in partnership with Simon & Schuster, today announced the release of a new edition of Stephen Covey’s (1932-2012) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People—now available in hardcover ($30.00) and trade paperback ($17.00) formats. This special 30th anniversary edition commemorates the timeless wisdom of The 7 Habits for a new generation with the book’s original content along with personal insights at the end of each chapter by Covey’s son, Sean Covey, author of the bestselling books The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, and The Leader in Me. These new observations on how the book’s principles can be used in our modern age provide a timely reboot for a new generation of leaders.

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30th Anniversary Edition of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Book (Photo: Business Wire)

The beloved classic has sold more than 40 million copies in 50 plus languages and has spurred profoundly increased levels of personal and organizational effectiveness for readers worldwide. It’s transformed the lives of heads of state, presidents, CEOs, educators, students, parents, and millions of people of all ages and occupations who have accessed its principles, paradigms, and processes in their effort to achieve extraordinary results. With timely and inspiring content needed now more than ever,The 7 Habits continues to guide and propel generations of readers through change in these uncertain times.

Touted as “one of the bestselling books of all time,” byFortune, the book was named the “#1 most influential book of the 20th century” by Chief Executivemagazine, and Forbesnamed it “one of the top 10 most influential management books ever.” Millions have not only read the book, but have been trained in FranklinCovey’s 7 Habits work sessions. The book, commonly used as a reference guide in management and leadership development by people holding every title, in every industry and occupation, has become a hallmark of effective leaders, extraordinary results and winning cultures.

“What was it like being raised in the home of the world-renowned Stephen Covey and his 7 Habits?”, asked Sean Covey. “As a teen, strangers approached me, hugged me, started crying, and confided, ‘Your dad’s book changed my life.’ I thought, ‘Really? My dad wears velour sweatpants with a dress shirt and boat shoes. And he changed your life?’ Later I realized the gift I had been given as a child. At age 19, I re-read the 7 Habits book and thought, ‘Wow, my dad is really smart and has matured a ton.’ It brought back all the lessons I learned growing up, surrounded by the 7 Habits. Dad taught us the principles he wrote about and considered us his most valued students. He tried out his material on us. And, just as fish discover water last, we were so immersed in it, we were unaware of its presence.”

Sean Covey was hesitant to add his insights to a book that was already considered a masterpiece. But by doing so, it allowed him to illustrate the impact the 7 Habits have had on him, his family, and the world. In this new edition, he shares stories and behind-the-scenes accounts from his father’s life to help readers apply the content and to illustrate the ongoing relevance of the 7 Habits in navigating a life that is tremendously unpredictable from day to day.

“The deeper the problems and challenges become in society the more relevant the 7 Habits become because they’re based on timeless principles of effectiveness that apply to everyone,” said Sean Covey. “My father didn’t claim to invent these concepts; but saw them as being universally applicable. He synthesized them into habits that people can live by. They’ve been integrated into everyday thinking by millions in the workplace, in elementary schools, in families, and in communities, because they work! They’ll continue changing lives because they’re based on enduring principles and they’ll continue to light the way for generations to come, which was my father’s great hope.”

Original author Stephen Covey wrote, “The world has changed dramatically since The 7 Habits book was first published…Life is more complex, more stressful, and even more demanding. Our problems and pain are universal and increasing and we face challenges and problems in our lives, our families and our organizations unimagined even one and two decades ago…The greater the change and more difficult our challenges, the more relevant the 7 Habits become. The solutions to our problems are and always will be based upon universal, timeless, self-evident principles common to every enduring, prospering society throughout history.”

Jim Collins, the bestselling author of Good to Great, wrote in his foreword in the 25th Anniversary Edition of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “There had been hundreds of years of accumulated wisdom about personal effectiveness...but it was never assembled into one coherent, user-friendly framework. Stephen Covey created a standard operating system – the 'Windows®' – for personal effectiveness and he made it easy to use….He did for personal effectiveness…what the graphical user interface did for personal computers….Stephen Covey focused on timeless principles, not on mere techniques or momentary fads. He wrote primarily about building character, not about ‘achieving success’ – and thereby helped people become not just more effective individuals, but better leaders….Great leadership begins first with character – that leadership is primarily a function of who you are, for this is the foundation for everything you do. How do you build leaders? You first build character. And that is why I see the 7 Habits as not just about personal effectiveness, but about leadership development.”

The book offers an integrated approach for accessing these principles to solve personal and professional problems. It’s a guidebook to achieving peace of mind and to building trust with others. With powerful insights and anecdotes, Stephen Covey reveals how our actions stem from who we are and offers a structured process for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity. These principles give readers the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

In advising readers to apply the 7 Habits content in their lives, Stephen Covey wrote, “…Start applying what you are learning. Remember, to learn and not to do is really not to learn. To know and not to do is really not to know….”

THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE:

Habit 1: Be Proactive. People are responsible for their own choices and have the freedom to choose based on principles and values rather than on moods or conditions. They are able to develop and use their four unique human gifts—self-awareness, conscience, imagination and independent will—and take an inside-out approach to creating change. They choose not to be victims, to be reactive or to blame others.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind. Highly effective people shape their own future by creating a mental vision and purpose for their life, their day, and for any project, large or small. They don’t just live day to day but are driven by their mission and purpose.

Habit 3: Put First Things First. Highly effective people live and make decisions with a clear sense of what is most important. They organize and execute around their most important priorities. They are driven primarily by purpose, not by the agendas and forces surrounding them. They put people ahead of schedules.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win. Highly effective people think in terms of mutual benefit. It’s not about you, or me; it’s about both of us. They are able to balance “courage” for what they want, with “consideration” for what the other person wants. They think interdependently—“we,” not “me”—and develop win-win agreements. They don’t think selfishly (win-lose) or like a martyr (lose-win).

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. Highly effective people diagnose before they prescribe. They listen before they talk. They seek first to listen with the intent to understand the thoughts and feelings of others, then seek to effectively communicate their own thoughts and feelings. Through understanding, highly effective people build deep relationships of trust. They understand that the key to influence is to first be influenced.

Habit 6: Synergize. Highly effective people value differences instead of being threatened by them. They believe that their own strengths combined with the gifts and talents of others can lead to the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. They seek for 3rd alternatives solutions to that are better than what they or the other party had in mind to begin with. They don’t go for compromise (1 + 1 = 1½) or merely cooperation (1 + 1 = 2) but seek out creative cooperation (1 + 1 = 3 or more).

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw. Highly effective people increase their effectiveness by renewing themselves regularly in the four areas of life: body (physical), mind (mental), heart (social/emotional), and spirit (spiritual—service, meaning and contribution). They are never too busy sawing to take time to sharpen their saw.

About Stephen Covey and Sean Covey

Stephen Covey

Recognized as one of TIME magazine’s twenty-five most influential Americans, Stephen Covey was an internationally respected leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational consultant and author. His books have sold more than 40 million copies in 50 plus languages and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was named the #1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century. After receiving an MBA from Harvard and a doctorate degree from Brigham Young University, he became the cofounder and vice chairman of FranklinCovey Co., a global performance improvement company. Stephen Covey passed away on July 16, 2012. His legacy to the world is Principle-Centered Leadership and his many contributions will live on through the principles he loved, taught and espoused.

Sean Covey

Sean Covey, son of Stephen Covey, is president of FranklinCovey Education and directs its whole-school transformation process, Leader in Me, now in over 5,000 schools and 50 countries worldwide. A New York Timesbest-selling author, Sean has authored or co-authored several books, including the Wall Street Journal #1 business bestseller The 4 Disciplines of Execution, The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, The Leader in Me, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, now in 30 languages, having sold over eight million copies. Sean graduated with honors from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in English and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. While at BYU, he also played as the starting quarterback for the football team. He and his family founded the global, non-profit charity, Bridle Up Hope, to inspire hope, confidence, and resilience in struggling young women through equestrian and life skills training. Sean and his family live in Alpine, Utah.

About FranklinCovey

Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE: FC) is a global, public company, specializing in organizational performance improvement. We help organizations achieve results that require lasting changes in human behavior. Our world-class solutions enable greatness in individuals, teams and organizations and are accessible through the FranklinCovey All Access Pass®. They are available across multiple modalities and in 21 languages. Clients have included the Fortune 100, Fortune 500, thousands of small- and mid-sized businesses, numerous government entities, and educational institutions. FranklinCovey has more than 100 direct and partner offices providing professional services in more than 160 countries and territories.

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