We lost one of the world’s great human beings, July 16th, 2012. Stephen Covey’s impact on the world is said to be “incalculable” and his influence will continue to touch the lives of millions of people for many years.
Stephen was a mentor to me; his teachings are reflected in so much of my written material and curriculum that I don’t think I ever deliver a training session, keynote speech or mentoring session without mentioning his name and recommending his books.
One of the activities from his wildly successful book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I remember vividly as one that shifted me permanently. He asks you to sit quietly and imagine you are at a funeral, sitting at the back of the church. Watching your friends, family, colleagues and community members enter the church you come to a growing awareness that it is YOUR funeral. Four people stand up to deliver a eulogy about you: one from your family, one of your friends, one from your workplace and one from your community. What would you want them to say about you? Write it down, and then live your life that way.
On the fundamental principal that the most important thing is to get a clear understanding of what your life is about, and create a personal mission statement, Covey also taught about mastering interdependence, (relationships with others) and how to use your time very effectively.
Dr. Stephen Covey founded the Covey Leadership Center, which merged with Franklin Quest in 1997 to form FranklinCovey Co, a company famous for their day planners & time management tools to help people get organized & productive.
Only in his 79th year, he died from complications of a brain injury after falling from his bicycle. This certainly teaches all of us that we do not have time to waste. Life is fragile, and can end at any minute. How do you want to spend it? Plan it, and live it every day.
I chose Covey as a mentor, because I saw him as a man who was truly who he said he was, on and off stage. His mission was not to entertain people, rather to really make a difference, and he lived it himself. He was consistent with his message in his personal and professional life, which proves the power in personal planning.
May you make time to plan and stay true to your mission,
Penny
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I invite you to learn more about this amazing man, and to internalize his wonderful work in his books:
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (which sold more than 20 million copies in 38 languages)
- First Things First
- Principle-Centered Leadership
- The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness
- The 3rd Alternative