The 8th Habit

About the Author

Stephen R. Covey was a highly respected leadership authority, family expert, teacher, author, and organizational consultant. As the co-founder and vice chairman of FranklinCovey Co., he was dedicated to helping people and organizations achieve greatness. Covey's profound insights into human behavior and leadership have inspired millions worldwide. His previous work, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," became a global bestseller, cementing his status as a leading thinker in personal and professional development.

Main Idea

"The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness" expands on Covey's previous teachings by addressing the need for individuals and organizations to move beyond mere effectiveness. Covey argues that in the Knowledge Worker Age, achieving greatness involves finding our voice and inspiring others to find theirs. This higher level of human genius and motivation requires a shift in thinking, incorporating a new mindset and skill set.

Table of Contents

1. The Pain, The Problem, and The Solution
2. Discover Your Voice
3. Express Your Voice
4. The Leadership Challenge
5. The Voice of Influence
6. The Voice of Trustworthiness
7. The Voice and Speed of Trust
8. Blending Voices: Searching for the Third Alternative
9. One Voice: Pathfinding Shared Vision, Values, and Strategy
10. The Voice and Discipline of Execution
11. The Empowering Voice
12. The 8th Habit and the Sweet Spot
13. Using Our Voices Wisely to Serve Others

The Pain, The Problem, and The Solution

Covey begins by illustrating the pain experienced by many in today's organizations: frustration, lack of fulfillment, and disengagement. This pain stems from outdated management practices inherited from the Industrial Age, such as controlling people, viewing them as expenses rather than assets, and relying on carrot-and-stick motivation. These practices fail to inspire the best contributions from people in the Knowledge Worker Age.

To solve these issues, Covey introduces the concept of the 8th Habit: finding our voice and inspiring others to find theirs. He shares the story of Muhammad Yunus, who empowered poor workers in Bangladesh by providing small loans, enabling them to become self-reliant. This example underscores the power of finding one's voice and the profound impact it can have on individuals and communities.

Discover Your Voice

Covey explains that discovering our voice involves recognizing and utilizing three innate gifts:

• The Freedom to Choose: Our past and circumstances influence us but do not determine us. We have the freedom to choose our responses, leading to growth and happiness.
• Natural Laws or Principles: Living by principles such as fairness, kindness, respect, honesty, integrity, service, and contribution leads to positive consequences.
• The Four Intelligences: Covey identifies four types of intelligence—Mental (IQ), Physical (PQ), Emotional (EQ), and Spiritual (SQ)—that help us develop our voice.

By nurturing these gifts, we can transcend the negative cultural "software" of ego, scarcity, comparison, and competitiveness, and choose to become the creative force in our lives.

Express Your Voice

Once we discover our voice, the next step is to express it. Great achievers channel their mental energy into vision, their physical energy into discipline, their emotional energy into passion, and their spiritual energy into conscience. Covey emphasizes that vision is applied imagination, discipline is necessary for realizing our vision, passion fuels our drive, and conscience guides our moral choices.