The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1989

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-2

Chapters 3-4

Chapters 5-6

Chapters 7-8

Chapters 9-11

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 3-4Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 2: “Private Victory”

Chapter 3 Summary: “Habit 1: Be Proactive”

In this chapter, Covey defines and explains the first habit of the highly effective—being proactive. He begins by stating that human beings are the only animals capable of self-awareness. Because of this fact, we are the only creatures capable of internal change. Opposing a belief in change, many philosophers and scientists espouse various theories of determinism that fall into the categories of genetic, psychic (behavioral), or environmental. All of them state that we are the result of our circumstances and can’t change. In contrast to these limiting views of human potential, Covey discusses Viktor Frankl’s theory that even under adverse circumstances, an individual still has the freedom to choose how he will react to those conditions: “Between what happened to him, or the stimulus, and his response to it, was his freedom or power to choose that response” (77).

Having established that we have a choice despite limiting conditions, the chapter then shifts to a closer examination of what it means to be proactive. Covey says, “It means more than merely taking initiative. It means that as human beings, we are responsible for our own lives. Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions” (78)

The author draws a sharp contrast between proactive and reactive people. The latter are driven by circumstance and feeling rather than consciously choosing how they will respond to conditions. He cautions that reactive language, implying there is no choice, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Covey introduces the concepts of a circle of concern (things we worry about) versus a circle of influence (things we can change). He advises that the best way to become more proactive is to diminish one’s circle of concern and expand one’s circle of influence. He suggests learning from one’s mistakes and embracing the paradigm shifts that often result from difficult conditions.

The chapter concludes with a 30-day exercise. Covey challenges the reader to spend the next month building a circle of influence by limiting reactive language, targeting a reactive pattern of behavior and eliminating it, and figuring out the first step toward expanding a circle of influence over a chronic work or family problem.

Chapter 4 Summary: “Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind”

The second of Covey’s effective habits is to begin with the end in mind. He starts the chapter with a visualization exercise and asks the reader to imagine attending their own funeral. Four speakers will be eulogizing the reader’s life. He asks us to imagine what the eulogists will say and what we want to hear. The answers will reveal what the end goal of the reader’s life really is. This exercise embodies the habit of thinking from the endpoint. Covey says:

The most fundamental application of ‘begin with the end in mind’ is to begin today with the image, picture, or paradigm of the end of your life as your frame of reference or the criterion by which everything else is examined (111-12).

The author then goes on to explain that everything we create in life has two parts: mental and physical. In fact, all physical creation must start first with an idea in the mind. Many people create unconsciously by default, allowing circumstance and other people to limit their creations. Covey recommends creating by design. To do this, one needs to get out in front of the situation and take a big picture, long-range view.

The book makes a distinction between the concepts of leadership and management. This can apply both to personal and business conditions. Often people are so swept up in the minutiae of getting through their days that they fail to grasp the ultimate goal they are trying to achieve; “Efficient management without effective leadership is, as one individual has phrased it, ‘like straightening deck chairs on the Titanic.’” (116)

Covey’s solution to this problem is to rescript one’s life by getting out of the thick of it. He advocates developing a personal mission statement that is grounded in timeless principles instead of the pressure of circumstance. “The key to the ability to change is a changeless sense of who you are, what you are about, and what you value” (122).

The author discusses the various centers that might sway an individual away from core principles. These fall into the categories of spouse, family, money, work, possession, pleasure, friend/enemy, church, and self-interest. He provides a chart describing each of these and asks the reader to identify in which of these centers most of their energy is invested.

Once people know what their priorities are, they should engage both sides of their brain to develop a mission statement for their lives. The often-neglected right side of the brain governs imagination. Covey recommends visualization and affirmation exercises to utilize the imaginative capacity, as “peak performers” use visualization techniques: “Almost all of the world-class athletes and other peak performers are visualizers. They see it; they feel it; they experience it before they actually do it. They begin with the end in mind” (148).

After we use imagination to develop a vision of the overall mission, we can invoke the left brain to develop roles and goals to accomplish the mission statement. The author provides several examples of family and organizational mission statements. He concludes the chapter with a funeral worksheet exercise, encouraging the reader to write down impressions gleaned from the funeral visualization that began the chapter. We can use these impressions of what’s most important as a basis for developing personal mission statements.

Chapters 3-4 Analysis

The title of the second part of the book is “Private Victory,” which indicates the author’s intent to focus on inner attitudes before branching out into behaviors that will affect the world at large. This segment introduces the first two effective habits—proactivity and keeping the end goal in mind. By making proactivity the initial focus, Covey can begin to shift the reader’s perspective from dependent to independent. In contrast to later sections of the book, Covey devotes a good deal of space to describing counterproductive behavior.

The author describes reactive behavior, which demonstrates that an individual feels at the mercy of circumstances or other people. Reactive people are generally resentful and perceive themselves as unable to do anything to change their plight. To generate a paradigm shift, Covey introduces the Circle of Concern concept. The Circle of Concern consists of things we worry about but are powerless to change. Contemplating such subjects is guaranteed to engender a feeling of helplessness and dependence. The author attempts to create a paradigm shift in the reader’s mind by countering the Circle of Concern with the Circle of Influence. These are subjects over which a person has some power.

In this section, Covey uses the strategy of comparing opposites to prompt a paradigm shift. He contrasts the Circle of Concern with the Circle of Influence in Chapter 3. In Chapter 4, he sets up a similar contrast between the concepts of leadership and management. Management is reactive, while leadership is proactive. In keeping with the author’s belief that character growth is organic and takes time to accomplish, he offers exercises at the end of each of these chapters. The intent is to get the reader to shift from an attitude of dependence to one of independence.