Stephen Covey was an American educator, businessman, and author of the National Bestselling bookThe Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He also authored many other popular books related to personal growth and striving for personal greatness. In short, he’s inspired countless people all over the world with his words of wisdom, and we aim to perpetuate that wisdom by publishing these handful of Stephen Covey quotes.
His almost sage-like advice has been used by so many people to improve their lives, and we hope you’ll be able to use some of his words to help you change yours. With that being said, if you’re ready for some of words that could quit literally change your life, let’s dive into some of these inspiring Stephen Covey quotes.
STEPHEN COVEY QUOTES FOR PERSONAL CHANGE
1. “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character, sow a character, reap a destiny.” – Stephen R. Covey
2. “But until a person can say deeply and honestly, “I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday,” that person cannot say, “I choose otherwise.” – Stephen R. Covey
3. “To achieve goals you’ve never achieved before, you need to start doing things you’ve never done before.” – Stephen R. Covey
4. “If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep getting what we’re getting.” – Stephen R. Covey
5. “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” – Stephen R. Covey
6. “Effective people are not problem-minded; they’re opportunity-minded. They feed opportunities and starve problems.” – Stephen R. Covey
7. “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” – Stephen R. Covey
8. “Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.” – Stephen R. Covey
9. “Start with the end in mind.” – Stephen R. Covey
10. “The way we see the problem is the problem.” – Stephen R. Covey
11. “Make time for planning; ware are won in the general’s tent.” – Stephen R. Covey
12. “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” – Stephen R. Covey
13. “To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions.” – Stephen R. Covey
14. “I am not a product of my circ*mstances. I am a product of my decisions.” – Stephen R. Covey
15. “We see the world, not as it is, but as we are──or, as we are conditioned to see it.” – Stephen R. Covey
16. “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” – Stephen R. Covey
17. “Leadership is communicating people’s worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it themselves.” – Stephen R. Covey
18. “Two people can see the same thing, disagree, and yet both be right. It’s not logical; it’s psychological.” – Stephen R. Covey
19. “At some time in your life, you probably had someone believe in you when you didn’t believe in yourself.” – Stephen R. Covey
20. “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen R. Covey
21. “You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically, to say “no” to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger “yes” burning inside. The enemy of the “best” is often the “good.” – Stephen R. Covey
22. “To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground.” – Stephen R. Covey
23. “If I really want to improve my situation, I can work on the one thing over which I have control – myself.” – Stephen R. Covey
24. “Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic” – Stephen R. Covey
25. “Highly effective people tend to be proactive. They decide to find a better job or to have better health, rather than responding to whatever curves life throws at them.” – Stephen R. Covey
26. “Happiness, like unhappiness, is a proactive choice.” – Stephen R. Covey
27. “My paradigm shifted. Suddenly I saw things differently, and because I saw differently, I thought differently, I felt differently, I behaved differently.” – Stephen R. Covey
28. “Live out of your imagination, not your history.” – Stephen R. Covey
29. “When you make a mistake, admit it, correct it, and learn from it — immediately.” – Stephen R. Covey
30. “You can’t change the fruit without changing the root.” – Stephen R. Covey
31. “The only thing that endures over time is the “Law Of The Farm”. You must prepare the ground, plant the seed, cultivate, and water if you expect to reap the harvest.” – Stephen R. Covey
32. “There are three constants in life…change, choice, and principles.” – Stephen R. Covey
33. “What you do has greater impact than what you say.” – Stephen R. Covey
34. “Setbacks are inevitable; misery is a choice.” – Stephen R. Covey
35. “Leadership is a choice, not a position.” – Stephen R. Covey
36. “If you want to be trusted, be trustworthy.” – Stephen R. Covey
37. “The power to keep commitments to ourselves is the essence of developing the basic habits of effectiveness.” – Stephen R. Covey
38. “I use the word effectiveness to get away from the word of success, because it tends to connote only getting desired results. But, you have to constantly nurture the assets that produce those desired results.” – Stephen R. Covey
39. “It’s the nature of reactive people to absolve themselves of responsibility.” – Stephen R. Covey
40. “Leaders are not born or made, they are self-made.” – Stephen R. Covey
41. “Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.” – Stephen R. Covey
42. “Synergy is better than my way or your way. It’s our way.” – Stephen Covey Quote
Halfway There
You’ve made it to the halfway point, great job! Here are a few fun facts to ponder if you’re looking for a little break….
Fun Fact: Stephen Covey was once named by Time magazine as one of the top 25 most influential people.
Fun Fact: Corporations would pay Stephen Covey’s business over $500 million per year to have him teach and train their staff the reinvention/leadership strategies found in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Fun Fact: Stephen Covey is the father of the following 7 Habits…..
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Habit 4: Think Win/Win
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Habit 6: Synergize
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Alright, let’s get back to these inspiring Stephen Covey quotes shall we?
Related: Best Self-Growth Quotes
43. “If you want small changes in your life, work on your attitude. But if you want big and primary changes, work on your paradigm.” – Stephen R. Covey
44. “Each of us guards a gate of change that can be opened only from the inside.” – Stephen R. Covey
45. “You can retire from a job, but don’t ever retire from making extremely meaningful contributions in life.” – Stephen R. Covey
46. “The roots of the problems we face in the world, in our national life, and in our family and personal lives are spiritual.” – Stephen R. Covey
47. The key is taking responsibility and initiative, deciding what your life is about and prioritizing your life around the most important things.” – Stephen R. Covey
48. “Goals are pure fantasy unless you have a specific plan to achieve them.” – Stephen R. Covey
49. “Every time you think the problem is ‘out there’, that very thought is the problem.” – Stephen R. Covey
50. “Life is not accumulation, it is about contribution.” – Stephen R. Covey
51. “Employers and business leaders need people who can think for themselves — who can take initiative and be the solution to problems.” – Stephen R. Covey
52. “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” – Stephen R. Covey
53. “Your most important work is always ahead of you, never behind you.” – Stephen R. Covey
54. “Treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.” – Stephen R. Covey
55. “Motivation is a fire from within. If someone tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.” – Stephen R. Covey
56. “Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic.” – Stephen R. Covey
57. “Be a part of the solution, not part of the problem.” – Stephen R. Covey
58. “Proactive people carry their own weather with them.” – Stephen R. Covey
59. “Accountability breeds response-ability.” – Stephen R. Covey
60. “Live your life by a compass, not a clock.” – Stephen R. Covey
61. “Deep within each of us is an inner longing to live a life of greatness and contribution – to really matter, to really make a difference. We can consciously decide to leave behind a life of mediocrity and to life a life of greatness – at home, at work, and in the community.” – Stephen R. Covey
62. “There’s no better way to inform and expand your mind on a regular basis than to get into the habit of reading good literature.” – Stephen R. Covey
63. “Being influenceable is the key to influencing others.” – Stephen R. Covey
64. “Most arguments are not really disagreements but are rather little ego battles and misunderstandings.” – Stephen R. Covey
65. “We live in a shortcut world. Can you imagine a farmer “cramming” in the fall to bring forth the harvest, as students have done, and still do, to pass examinations? Can you imagine a mile runner “pretending” speed and endurance, or a concert pianist “putting on the appearance” of skill and proficiency?” – Stephen R. Covey
66. “Admission of ignorance is often the first step in our education.” – Stephen R. Covey
67. “Most meetings are a waste of time, because they are so ill-prepared and there’s so little opportunity for true synergy in producing better results.” – Stephen R. Covey
69. “Our most important financial asset is our own capacity to earn.” – Stephen R. Covey
68. “We are not animals. So, we are not a product of what has happened to us in our past. We have the power of choice.” – Stephen R. Covey
70. “To know and no to do is really not to know.” – Stephen R. Covey
71. “The space between stimulus and response, is the freedom to choose your response.” – Stephen R. Covey
72. “You cannot hold people responsible for results if you supervise their methods.” – Stephen R. Covey
73. “I believe conflicting or diverse viewpoints are a gift.” – Stephen R. Covey
74. “Win/Lose poisons the mind.” – Stephen R. Covey
75. “People deep into their souls know principles that are universal, timeless, and self-evident.” – Stephen R. Covey
76. “You cannot think independently in an interdependent world.” – Stephen R. Covey
77. “Don’t waste time on things that are urgent but not important.” – Stephen R. Covey
78. “Write a personal mission statement and live by it, so that your life is a function of your values, not a function of your environment.” – Stephen R. Covey
79. “It isn’t the poisonous snake that bites you that does the serious harm, it’s chasing that sucker that drives the poison into the heart.” – Stephen R. Covey
80. “Leadership is a choice.” – Stephen R. Covey
81. “I wouldn’t do work that does not add value, even if you make money. I would do work which significantly adds value to society.” – Stephen R. Covey
82. “Most meetings don’t need to take place.” – Stephen R. Covey
83. “I have no desire at all to retire, I never will. I am convinced that you should waste and wear out your life trying to make a contribution.” – Stephen R. Covey
84. “The greatest contribution I want to make frankly is to strengthen the families. To me that’s more important than any other organization there is.” – Stephen R. Covey
85. “Where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going.” – Stephen R. Covey
86. “You’ve got to develop the moral authority that your life is not a function of your moods, it’s a function of your values.” – Stephen R. Covey
87. “Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It brings out the very best in people.” Stephen R. Covey
88. “Don’t get seduced by money and by material things. It may be good to a degree, but in the long run what matters is the quality of the relationships with people, the quality of your character, and the quality of the contribution you make.” – Stephen R. Covey
89. “There’s four basic needs in all of us; to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy.” – Stephen R. Covey
90. “You’re a product of your own choices.” – Stephen R. Covey
91. “That which you resist persists.” – Stephen R. Covey
92. “People simple feel better about themselves when they’re good at something.” – Stephen R. Covey
93. “When we defend those who are absent, you retain the trust of those present.” – Stephen R. Covey
94. “Paradigms are powerful because they create the lens through which we see the world.” – Stephen R. Covey
95. “Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.” – Stephen R. Covey
96. “Make sure that as you scramble up the ladder of success, it is leaning against the right building.” – Stephen R. Covey
97. “The win-win mentality is fundamental not just to business but to all of life’s relationships. it’s the ticket to entry into any human being’s heart.” – Stephen R. Covey
98. “People are working harder than ever, but because they lack clarity and vision, they aren’t getting very far. They, in essence, are pushing a rope… with all of their might.” – Stephen Covey
99. “Our greatest joy and our greatest pain come in our relationships with others.” – Stephen R. Covey
100. “The key to success is dedication to life-long learning.” – Stephen R. Covey
Bonus Stephen Covey Quote
Bonus: Here’s one last and final quote from our collection of Stephen Covey quotes. It’s one of our favorites, which is why we’ve decided to highlight it here. They’re certainly great words to live by. Enjoy!
“Everyone Chooses One Or Two Roads In Life – The Old And The Young, The Rich And The Poor, Men And Women Alike. One Is The Broad, Well-traveled Road To Mediocrity, The Other The Road To Greatness And Meaning.”
– stephen covey –
Final Thoughts
There you have it, the best of the best Stephen Covey quotes that could help you change your life. If you’ve yet to read his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, we highly recommend it.
With that being said, if you enjoyed this page, please share it and bookmark it. And we hope you’ll leverage Stephen Covey’s wise words to reinvent yourself, find more success, and create the results you desire most from life.
Till next time,
STRIVE
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About Stephen Covey
Stephen Covey was an American educator, businessman, and author of the National Bestselling book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He is known for inspiring countless people worldwide with his words of wisdom and has authored many other popular books related to personal growth and striving for personal greatness. Covey's almost sage-like advice has been used by many to improve their lives, and his quotes continue to inspire change in individuals. He was once named by Time magazine as one of the top 25 most influential people, and corporations would pay his business over $500 million per year to teach and train their staff in the reinvention/leadership strategies found in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen Covey is the father of the following 7 Habits:
- Be Proactive
- Begin with the End in Mind
- Put First Things First
- Think Win/Win
- Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
- Synergize
- Sharpen the Saw
Stephen Covey Quotes
Here are some inspiring quotes by Stephen Covey:
- “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character, sow a character, reap a destiny.” – Stephen R. Covey[[1]]
- “To achieve goals you’ve never achieved before, you need to start doing things you’ve never done before.” – Stephen R. Covey[[1]]
- “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” – Stephen R. Covey[[1]]
- “The way we see the problem is the problem.” – Stephen R. Covey[[1]]
- “Start with the end in mind.” – Stephen R. Covey[[1]]
- “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” – Stephen R. Covey[[1]]
Fun Facts about Stephen Covey
- Stephen Covey was once named by Time magazine as one of the top 25 most influential people.
- Corporations would pay Stephen Covey’s business over $500 million per year to have him teach and train their staff the reinvention/leadership strategies found in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Conclusion
Stephen Covey's quotes and teachings continue to inspire individuals to strive for personal greatness and make positive changes in their lives. His influence extends to various aspects of personal and professional development, making him a significant figure in the field of self-improvement and leadership.
