Stephen Covey – 17 Quotes

17 Quotes by Stephen Covey

A cardinal principle of Total Quality escapes too many managers: you cannot continuously improve interdependent systems and processes until you progressively perfect interdependent, interpersonal relationships.

– Stephen Covey

Employers and business leaders need people who can think for themselves – who can take initiative and be the solution to problems.

– Stephen Covey

Every human has four endowments- self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom… The power to choose, to respond, to change.

– Stephen Covey

There are three constants in life… change, choice and principles.

– Stephen Covey

In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do.

– Stephen Covey

It’s a fact that more people watch television and get their information that way than read books. I find new technology and new ways of communication very exciting and would like to do more in this field.

– Stephen Covey

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 Covey

But with the steady disintegration of the family in modern society over the last century, the role of the school in bridging the gap has become vital!

– Stephen Covey

Historically, the family has played the primary role in educating children for life, with the school providing supplemental scaffolding to the family.

– Stephen Covey

Live out of your imagination, not your history.

– Stephen Covey

When it comes to developing character strength, inner security and unique personal and interpersonal talents and skills in a child, no institution can or ever will compare with, or effectively substitute for, the home’s potential for positive influence.

– Stephen Covey

Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.

– Stephen Covey

Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.

– Stephen Covey

We are the creative force of our life, and through our own decisions rather than our conditions, if we carefully learn to do certain things, we can accomplish those goals.

– Stephen Covey

We are not animals. We are not a product of what has happened to us in our past. We have the power of choice.

– Stephen Covey

Despite all our gains in technology, product innovation and world markets, most people are not thriving in the organizations they work for.

– Stephen Covey

The bottom line is, when people are crystal clear about the most important priorities of the organization and team they work with and prioritized their work around those top priorities, not only are they many times more productive, they discover they have the time they need to have a whole life.

– Stephen Covey