8'inci Alışkanlık: Bütünlüğe Doğru, Etkili İnsanların 7 Alışkanlığı

by Stephen R. Covey, Çağlayan Erendağ (Translator), Sezer Soner (Translator)

Stephen R. Covey, okuyucularını tarih içinde kısa bir yolculuğa çıkartarak büyük resmi görmelerini sağlıyor ve böylece tümden gelerek bireye odaklanıyor... Bu kitap, önceki alışkanlıkları zayıflayanlar ve böyle bir yolculuğu özleyenler için özel bir rehber."

Prof. Dr. Acar Baltaş
Psikolog

"8'inci Alışkanlık, okunması ve üzerinde düşünülmesi gereken önemli bir kitap. Bu kitabı... iş sahipleri, liderler, yöneticiler, çalışanlar ve bürokratların... öğretmenler ve okul yöneticilerinin... Bütün İnsan'ı unutmamaları için anne babaların... ve anlamlı bir yaşam için üniversite öğrencilerinin okumalarını isterim."

Doğan Cüceloğlu
Psikolog-Eğitimci- Yazar

"İnsanı tanıma serüveninde, Stephen R. Covey 8'inci basamağa ulaştı. Onu bu son kitabı için, Sistem Yayıncılığı da ülkemizin insanlarını dünyanın ve Türkiye'nin kişisel gelişim yazarlarıyla tanıştırdığı için kutluyorum."

Prof. Dr. Üstün Dökmen
Psikolog-Eğitimci- Yazar

Genres: Self Help, Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Personal Development, Psychology, Productivity

434 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Stephen Richards Covey was an American educator, author, businessman, and speaker. His most popular book is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His other books include First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, The 8th Habit, and The Leader In Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Child at a Time. In 1996, Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential people. He was a professor at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University (USU) at the time of his death.

Reviews

[Scott Dinsmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why I Read this Book: There are few things more important to success than having a clear vision of what you want to accomplish. This book provided me with the fundamentals necessary for putting that vision together and helping others to do the same.

Review:

Stephen Covey came right over the top with this one. It’s funny to write one book about 7 habits and haveit be around 250 pages and then write another book about the 8th habit alone and have it be over 400. The truth is that every one of those pages was very well used. This book was fantastically written and is an absolute must read for people serious about continued personal (and professional) development and enrichment. I know it seems like I have similar extremely positive things to say about many of these books, but please keep in mind that that is why they are on this site. These are the best and most valuable books that I have read. The reason there are not negative reviews on this site is because I am only cherry picking what I feel is most important and beneficial to you as the reader and your success. I have found every one of the books on this site to be very beneficial.

The 8th Habit is to find your voice and inspire others to find theirs. I would put it in the top four most valuable books (that I have read) on personal development and enrichment. It is right up there with The 7 Habits by Stephen Covey, Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins, and How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie. If you have not read these reviews and books, I suggest you do so now. They contain the most universal and valuable words you may come across in your journey for success. They provide the framework from which everything else diverges.

Much of Covey’s words in the 8th Habit stem from the idea of taking the road less traveled by, which is something that you should all know by now is very near and dear to me. If you are not familiar with this poem by Robert Frost, please read it here. One and all should take the road less traveled in some way or another because no one has the same vision and plan for their life, therefore everyone’s road should be one that others have not traveled. If you aren’t taking this road then you are most likely trying to live someone else’s dream.

The single most valuable takeaway from this book is the companion website that comes with it. You can visit it at www.8thhabit.com. This site is offered free of charge to those of us who have purchased the book. It is only of great use if you use it as a tool as you read through the book. Throughout the book Covey refers the reader to various films and exercises to further his points. Two of these videos are the most inspirational I have seen. I watch them first thing each morning before I set out to work towards my goals. Once you see them you will understand why. To see the videos visit www.8thhabit.com/offers, but please only do so if you have purchased the book. The two I am referring to are entitled Legacy and The Nature of Leadership. They are very inspiring.

Through finding your voice he shows the power it can have on your leadership style and working with others. Leadership is giving people the vision and drive to complete a goal. The problem with most organizations is that they are under-led and over-managed. Remember that things are managed and controlled, but people are led and empowered. It is a common misconception that there are only a few people in this world who are the leaders and the rest are to be led.

When you think about it, leadership is more of a state of mind than anything else. You should always be leading others while also being led. At any point in your life you have the power to be a leader; to take initiative. If nothing else, you are the leader of your own life. Could you think of a more important role or position than being the leader of you and your destiny? It really does not get any more executive than that. What Covey really wants us to understand is you must always remember that it is you who has the power to control your life and your circumstances, but you must also always remember that others have this same power over themselves as well. That is the whole idea of finding your voice and inspiring others to find theirs. It is here where you find greatness.

I will end with a point Covey makes that resonates with me more than most. This is something that has become one of my best practices (you know, something that you try to do as often as possible as you live your life). It is, “Always try to operate outside of your comfort zone.” It is so easy to be overcome by comfort and it can be the most infectious object for your success. Don’t get me wrong, it is very difficult to get yourself to operate outside of this zone. So few people do it, and its where all real achievement occurs. It is the reason why so many people’s dreams remain just that. It is why so few people read books like the 8th Habit and others listed on this site. Do something great for yourself today and get out of your comfort zone. Give the 8th Habit a read and you will get that first nudge. It may be all you need.

-Reading For Your Success

[خولة حمدي · Rating 5 out of 5]

قرأت هذا الكتاب منذ خمس سنوات بمناسبة درس الانجليزية في الجامعة، حيث طلبت منا الأستاذة قراءة كتابين بالانجليزية في أي مجال نختاره ثم تقديم عرض موثق عن الموضوع. في تلك الفترة كنت مولعة بالتنمية البشرية، و كان كتاب "العادات السبع للأشخاص الأكثر فاعلية" أول كتاب أقرؤه في هذا المجال لذلك كان من دواعي سروري أن أتممه بكتاب العادة الثامنة الذي قمت بطلبه بهذه المناسبة ليطير إلي من الولايات المتحدة مرفقا بقرص دي في دي

أسلوب ستيفن كوفي مميز و الحكايات الواقعية التي يرفق بها دروسه مؤثرة و ممتعة. أما الأشرطة القصيرة على قرص الدي في دي فهي باختصار راااائعة. رغم طول الكتاب و غزارة المواد استمتعت كثيرا بمطالعته و قضيت معه برفقته وقتا طيبا.

لن أقول أن هذا الكتاب غير حياتي، لأن قراءة الدروس وحدها لا تكفي. التطبيق و المداومة هي الخطوات المطلوبة لتحقيق النتائج. أعتقد أن علي قراءته مرات أخرى و على مهل لاستفادة حقيقية، مثلما فعلت مع كتاب العادات السبع الذي مازالت تفاصيله ترافقني و تخطر ببالي العادات في بعض مواقف الحياة اليومية. خاصة أنني قد قطعت شوطا لا بأس به في تنفيذ التخطيط الذي وضعته للسنوات العشر المقبلة (آنذاك) من حياتي :)

أنصح بقراءته و الاستفادة منه

[Dean Ryan Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Done reading THE 8TH HABIT: FROM EFFECTIVENESS TO GREATNESS. This is the sequel to The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Author's Writing Style: 4 STARS. Yay - The tone is nearly as the same as its prequel. It is written for professional adults. There are 15 chapters divided into three parts. The first three chapters prepare you to the two major parts of the book. The first part contains two chapters. It deals with Finding Your Voice. Part Two covers the last ten chapters, which discuss how to inspire others to find their voice.

Each chapter is sprinkled with an inspiring story. There are rectangular boxes too. Inside it are these great sayings from famous names. After each story are the great wisdom. There are eight Appendices after Chapter 15.

Nay - Sometimes, a sentence is too long to read.

Substance & Quality: 5 STARS. Yay - This book is far superior from its prequel. The quality of new information never forgets to bridge the seven effective habits to this new habit. This new habit teaches you how to be a great person, especially in your job.

Part 1 focuses on finding your voice with the use of your vision, your discipline, your passion and your conscience. Part 2 takes you to another level of greatness. It gives you the proactive action plan on how to be a great member of a family, a great employee of an organization and a great business owner who can manage his daily priorities with his stakeholders, hired employees and customers.

"Conscience often provides the why. Vision identifies what you're trying to accomplish. Discipline represents how you're going to accomplish it. Passion represents the strength of feelings behind the why, the what and the how (page 81)."

Chapter 10 is my favorite. It deals with the most important skill in life - Communication. Empathy begins in communication. The way you listen to others and the way you interpret their intention define who you are.

Nay - This book might be too challenging with mediocre mindsets. There is nothing wrong with mediocrity but this book would feel heavy to everyone, especially to them. I cannot consider myself a mediocre. I simply handled them multiple times in the past. In college, my group of three chose me as their leader during our thesis writing. Back in 2018, I was elected as the Alumni President in BS Psychology. And, this book makes me realize where did I go wrong.

[Yousif Al Zeera · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read the "7 Habits" in 2006 and was taken aback by the insights of the book. I also went on and read some of his other books "Principle-centered Leadership" and "First Things First". These are two great books too but you start encounter some repetition.

Three/four years back, I was gifted "The 3rd Alternative" and the book was above my expectations. In my opinion, he went on a new level while reading the 3rd Alternative. The diverse examples from different fields were really informative in themselves and not just illustrating the concepts in the book.

Somehow, I decided to read the "8th Habit" as I had it as an audiobook and had some long trips and wanted something "not thick". From my experience with Covey, I was expecting another great book full of thought-provoking insights (even though the book was published before the 3rd Alternative). However, I was surprised. I am not saying it is a "bad" book but having read the "7 Habits" and some of his other works, the added-value in the "8th Habit" is too minimal. I consider it a lengthy book and should be drastically shortened.

Just a quick disclaimer, another factor to my low rating could probably be because my interests in such books have weakened as the level of knowledge in them somehow reached to a "saturation' level (i.e. newer books in this field may not add new knowledge but just rephrase the same concepts which is probably well-known to many readers but didn't expect that from Stephen Covey).

[Abo Salman]

يتحدث فيه عن العادة الثامنة التى يحتاج اليها لاكمال عادات النجاح السبع وهى كن مبادرا - ابدأ والغاية فى ذهنك - ابدأ بالاهم ثم المهم - فكر بالمنفعة للجميع - اسع الى فهم الاخرين اولا ثم اسع الى ان يفهموك - تكاتف مع الاخرين - اشحذ المنشار - وتاتى العادة الثامنة وهى اكتشف صوتك والهم الاخرين باكتشاف اصواتهم - ويتم اكتشاف الصوت الداخلى للانسان باكتشاف واستغلال الهدايا التى منحها الله للانسان وهى : حرية الاختيار بين المثير والاستجابة - والقوانين والمبادىء الكونية الابدية البديهية - والذكاءات الاربع العاطفية والعقلية والجسمية والروحية - ثم تقوم بالتعبير عن وتك بالتحلى بالصفات الاربع وهى الرؤية والحماس والنضباط والضمير وبالابتعاد عن سرطانات سلوكية سلبية مثل الانتقاد والشكوى والمقارنة والمنافسة والمعارضة - ولكى تلهم الاخرين ليعثروا على اصواتهم تحتاج الى التحلى بادوار القيادة وهى تتمثل فى اربع اداور تتلخص فى كلمتين هما التركيز والتنفيذ - فالتركيز معناه التحلى بالقدوة الحسنة ووتحديد المسار ( اشراك الاخرين فى الرؤية وتحديد الاهداف ) والتنفيذ يكون بالتوفيق فى وضع الانظمة والسياسات المناسبة لتحقيق الاهداف والتمكين بالهام الاخرين وشحذ حماسهم وهمتهم ومواهبهم وقدراتهم للعمل وتحقيق النتائج

[Melissa Yael Winston · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last I've finished! Below is my last installment.

I'm reading this and "teaching" it: that is, talking and writing about what I'm learning, as I go along, as part of the 8th Habit challenge to solidify the ideas in my head. Condensed, the 8th Habit is "Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs." The book is broken down into "Discover Your Voice" and "Inspire Others to Find Theirs." Here is the twelfth installment of my summary: Chapter 15.

Chapter 15: Using Our Voices Wisely to Serve Others

The final chapter of the 8th Habit pulls together the lessons learned in earlier chapters and identifies the why of it all. Finding one’s voice and inspiring others to find theirs embodies one overarching principle: to serve human needs.

The Age of Wisdom

At the beginning of the book, Covey discusses the Five Ages of Civilization’s Voice: the Hunter-Gatherer Age, the Agricultural Age, the Industrial Age, the Information/Knowledge Worker Age and the Age of Wisdom. Each age has its own symbol—in chronological order, the bow and arrow, farm equipment, the factory, the person and in the Age of Wisdom, the compass. The twentieth century witnessed the end of the Industrial Age, and as has happened in previous ages, over 90 percent of the workforce is in the process of being downsized. “I personally believe that over 20 percent of the present workforce is becoming obsolete, and that unless they rededicate and reinvent themselves, within a few years, another 20 percent will become obsolete” (p. 295). Constantly educating oneself will prepare one for this transition into the Knowledge Worker Age, and Covey posits that this era will eventually turn into the Age of Wisdom.

Where is Wisdom?

The Age of Wisdom is an improvement on the Information/Knowledge Worker Age in that information and knowledge are guided by purpose and principles. Knowledge and information are not wisdom; rather, wisdom is coming to understand that the more one knows, the more one knows one doesn’t know (p. 295). Covey presents a diagram with one’s knowledge represented by a circle and one’s ignorance represented by the space around it. As a person learns more, the circle of knowledge expands, but here’s the rub: the space around the circle, one’s ignorance, gets larger as well. If a person wants to accomplish something greater than his or her knowledge, one can draw on the expertise and intuition of others. Creating a complementary, synergistic team compensates for that ever-growing circle of ignorance and puts the ever-growing circle of knowledge to good use.

Recognizing the interdependence of human beings, Covey states, should increase one’s commitment to “continual mentored learning,” especially in areas of leadership and personal growth (p. 296). With this commitment comes a belief in vision, worthy purposes and direction—the essence of wisdom.

Wisdom and the abundance mentality are the children of integrity. Integrity is the child of humility and courage. “Wisdom comes to people who educate and obey their conscience. The abundance mentality is cultivated because integrity breeds inner security. When a person is not dependent upon external judgments and comparisons for his sense of personal worth, he can be genuinely happy for the successes of others” (p. 297). Possessing humility, courage, integrity, wisdom and the abundance mentality produce paradigms that make the 8th habit possible: belief in others, affirming both one’s own worth and potential and that of others, and a focus on release rather than control. Those practicing the 8th habit will find their perspectives and conduct both creating and reinforcing this approaching Age of Wisdom. They will be filled with gratitude, abundance and respect and will find continuous opportunities for growth and learning.

Moral Authority and Servant Leadership

Moral authority is the product of dedicating oneself to service and contribution. At the top of truly great organizations one finds servant-leaders. These servant-leaders possess formal authority because of moral authority; that is, they are humble, teachable, respectful and caring, and this behavior differentiates them as great rather than simply good. Servant-leaders, further, rarely if ever use (read: abuse) their positions of formal authority by “throwing their weight around,” instead relying on moral authority based on trustworthiness to influence and encourage others.

Leadership as a choice (moral authority) creates a distinct contrast with leadership as a position (formal authority), with the first representative of empowering and release and the second of command and control.

Leadership Based on Moral Authority:

• Right makes might
• The “wrong” is in doing wrong
• Be a model, not a critic
• There is enough and to spare

Leadership Based on Formal Authority (without Moral Authority):

• Might makes right
• The “wrong” is in getting caught
• The top people don’t “live” moral authority or integrity
• There is only so much

In chapter 15, Covey discusses several leaders who depended on moral authority to lead, including Ghandi, Kim Dae-Jung and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.

Moral Authority as an Ecosystem

Moral authority, as with all other aspects of the 8th habit (as well as the 7 habits), develops from the inside out. One must establish personal moral authority (being individually trustworthy), and this leads to visionary moral authority, whereby others come to respect and emulate one’s moral authority. Once moral authority becomes firmly entrenched within an organization, an organization has institutionalized moral authority. As moral authority continues to expand, the result is cultural moral authority, wherein a civil society grows that respects and enforces the rule of law, honesty, trust and the meeting of needs of the society’s members. Cultural moral authority develops extremely slowly and is constantly evolving, even after it has been established. But, like any ecosystem, moral authority develops and expands outward, yet all parts are interrelated and interdependent.

Birth-Gifts, Our Cultural Overlay and Wisdom

To review, in an earlier chapter, Covey identifies birth-gifts: the power to choose, natural laws and principles and the four native intelligences (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual). In chapter 15, Covey also identifies a “flawed cultural overlay,” a misleading, quick-fix cultural norm that cripples the use of these birth-gifts and lead one down the road to mediocrity rather than greatness (p. 309). Wisdom comes in finding a Third Alternative that transcends these poisonous cultural norms and puts these birth-gifts to use in achieving greatness.

At the personal level, most people want quality relationships and personal peace. The flawed cultural overlay is that most people also want to keep their habits and lifestyles. Wisdom dictates that those habits and lifestyles that hurt relationships and rob one of peace must be sacrificed in favor of stronger, morally-grounded ones that build relationships and bestow peace.

At the relationship level, most people must trust and be trusted in order to have quality relationships, and trust comes through serving and keeping one’s word. At the same time, the flawed cultural overlay indicates that most people also have a “what’s in it for me?” approach to relationships, an attitude that is murder to quality relationships. Wisdom dictates that “me” be sacrificed for “we,” and in so doing one builds the trust necessary to have quality relationships.

At the organizational level, management wants more for less and employees want more money for less time and effort, but in both cases, the relationship must be mutually beneficial in order to be beneficial at all. Wisdom dictates that management and the workforce work out a win-win agreement, whereby productive, empowered employees contribute to a common purpose and in turn are compensated physically and spiritually for their efforts.

At the societal level, society operates by dominant social mores, but these mores often conflict with natural laws and principles. Society is responsible for its actions and has to live with the consequences of violating those natural laws and principles. Wisdom dictates aligning social mores and values to respect the general welfare of society as well as the natural environment so that natural laws are respected and negative consequences are minimal.

Problem Solving through a Principle-Centered Model

Covey identifies several personal and professional challenges facing people today, including financial survival, uncertainty, insufficient time and resources, lack of meaning and lack of peace.

“Finding Your Voice is a synergistic concept of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts, so that when you respect, develop, integrate and balance the four parts of your nature, you’re led to realize your full potential and lasting fulfillment” (p. 312-313). Facing challenges and solving problems through a principle-centered model involves employing the four human intelligences. The catchphrase is “open your heart:”

• Physically, keep your heart strong through proper diet and exercise.
• Emotionally, recognize the potential of others to solve problems and unleash that synergistic potential by involving them in the problem-solving process.
• Mentally, learn constantly and see people as whole people.
• Spiritually, open your heart so that your life is driven by a higher purpose; open your heart so that you are “doing well by doing good” (p. 313).

[EstelleLiterature · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the book's title itself says, it's a step from effectiveness to greatness: that is, from the functional dimension to the spiritual; in this case, not just personal but also interpersonal; and that's where, I believe, the dimension of common values enter to ensure and sustain growth. I'll try to explain.

The key message I retain from this book is "grow yourself, and then help others grow."

I agree with the author's noble intention, but, in my experience, such a two-way growth occurs and sustains only when mutual trust and respect are present. Growing others is a valuable investment; hence, before investing our precious time and energy, we must ensure this mutual dimension.

This principle is universal and timeless. I quote from Hugo's "Les Miserables," a work familiar to most of you.

When the Bishop pardoned Jean Val Jean for stealing the silverware, the Bishop grew himself and grew Jean Val Jean, who then continued this growth and grew many others. For example, he grew a not-so-nice man by saving him from being crushed under a cart; later, this man reciprocated his growth by hiding Jean Val Jean and Cosette in his garden house. And, of course, Jean Val Jean grew Javert out of his impasse by pardoning him at the barricade during 1830's thee-day revolt. Javert then reciprocated this growth by sacrificing himself and letting Jean Val Jean go. There are more examples in this book of mutual growth. What binds all of them is mutual respect.

It's the presence of this mutual respect that prevents shrinking and ensures growth.

[Ameera Almousa · Rating 4 out of 5]

ضحل في تطوير الذات الفعاله ورفع مستوى إداها في أدارة المشاريع , والتمكن من القيادة وإدارة الفشل والتعاطي مع الإحباط ومقاومته , وتنمية قدرة التكيف لدى الذات الفعالة في المجتمعات الغير مهيئة للنجاح , ستفن كوفي يؤمن بفكرة إنعكاس الجانب المعنوي على المادي , لذا يتطرق لعناصر تعزيز المعنى والقيم لعمل موازنة مع المبادئ فالبحث عن الذات وسماع الصوت الداخلي والتحفيز الذاتي يفضي بالفرد للنجاح على كافة القطاعات وبالتالي تصبح أداة ووسيلة إلهام الآخرين على معرفة فنونهم وابداعاتهم الداخليه , وأختزل ذلك كله بمسمى - العادة الثامنة كتكملة لإصداراته السابقة .

*
يعاب عليه كثر السرد , بالرغم أن كُتب تطوير الذات لايليق بها إلا تقنين المعلومات بنقاط عدديه مختصرة وموجزة.

[Raneem · Rating 5 out of 5]

بي عيبٌ يروقني ولم أكن أنوي تعديله..لا أقرأ الكتب المترجمة إلا الروايات..او السيّر الذاتية ..


و أكره بالخصوص كتب تطوير الذات ..

قراءة هذا الكتاب كان أمرًا قدريًا تعليميًا من رب العباد..اقترح عليّ من قبل أناس اثق بهم جدًا .. و ماشجعني على الأخذ باقتراحهم هو انهم حددوا لي جزئية معينة قالوا انها شاملة لأهم افكار الكتاب..فأخذت بمشورتهم ..سعيدة لأني فعلت..


الكتاب غيّر الكثير وكان القشة التي قسمت ظهر البعير..كان بمثابة إطلاق لصوتي الداخلي..و هو كذلك..رسالة الكتاب كلها ترتكز على هذا الأساس..هناك صوت بداخلك عليك التوقف عن تجاهله وتناسيه..

الجدير بالذكر اني بعد قراءتي للجزئية المقترحة ..تحمست لقراءته كاملاً..وعدت لصفحاته الأولى لكن ولسبب ما مللت !!

ربما يعود ذلك لاني فهمت ما وراء كل تلك المقدمات الطويلة ..و القصص الكثيرة التي بدأ بها ستيفن كوفي رائعته ..


لم انهي الكتاب لا لسوء فيه ..
إنما لاني تعرفت على كتاب "التغيير من الداخل ،تأملات في عادات النجاح السبع" والذي عرفت انه يلخص كتاب ستيفن بطريقة تتناسب و بيئتنا الشرقية..لذا قررت بعد طول تفكير ان اتوقف عن قراءة هذا الكتاب و البدء في كتاب الدكتور ايمن .. فمازال هناك الكثير من الكتب التي اتمنى قراءتها..والعمر قصير !!

[Corinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s the sequel to his ‘Seven Habits‘ book, the eighth habit being ‘Find your voice, and then help others find theirs’. Great way to expand influence, although not so easy always!

Anyway, I liked his definition of the ‘voice’, at the nexus of talent, need, and conscience.

I do have a concern, though. Had he taken into account the reality of the business world today, where the driving force is not finding your voice but to ensure your survival? When the squeeze of margins everywhere has made the survival so extremely difficult, where do you find the luxury to discover and enrich your voice?

That said, he has the right to his opinions. In any case, it’s a good sequel to his first book

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a FANTASTIC book! I have been reading a LOT about leadership lately and I think this sums up the most important points I've read or heard about leadership in the last several months. This is a very comprehensive review of many important principles all as a part of the 8th Habit--finding your voice and inspiring others find theirs. I love the positive and all-inclusive approach to the topic.

It's important to know your talents and gifts and then express them with vision, discipline, passion and conscience. Then in inspiring others you need to model and help others find the path by building trust, blending voices and finding win-win alternatives that create a shared vision. In order to execute these principles there needs to be alignment and empowerment. All of these principles are so important in this day, which could be seen as the "age of wisdom." With so much information readily accessible we need to be prepared to compete in the new environment.

We must use our heart, mind, body, and spirit through all of this. As we look at the whole person and apply vision, discipline, passion and conscience we can start moving down the path to greatness! There may be too many ways to say the same things in this book, but it is very thorough and has great principles and lessons to apply in many situations.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." - Edmund Burke (p. 7)

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." - Marianne Williamson (p. 41)

"Surely what a man does when he is taken off guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is. Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth...I cannot, by direct moral effort, give myself new motives. After the first few steps...we realize that everything which really needs to be done in our souls can only be done by God." - C.S. Lewis (p. 180)

"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." - Goethe (p. 181)

"To every man there comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a very special thing, unique to him and fitted to his talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour." - Winston Churchill (p. 313)

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

The paradox is that I do enjoy reading and discussing Business/Self-Help books, but I feel like by definition, their teachings are obvious.

David Covey is on the Mt Rushmore of Business/Self-Help authors. Even if you have not read his 7 Habits of highly Effective People, I can still pretty much guarantee you have been exposed to his teachings.

This book is a bit of a misnomer, in to me, it clearly is a gimmick to sell more books by connecting it to this business masterpiece. Nothing wrong with doing whatever you need to sell books, of course. The 8th Habit then is a leadership skill to those who are seeking the next level.

There's a reason Covey is so popular. He's pretty good. The problem with many of these books is that they fail in giving what feels like real life examples. Covey (likely because of his fame) has plenty of examples of things he's done. If you push back against him, he can argue with what has worked. I liked this alot.

There are real world business arguments against the book, though businesses would be wise to adapt Covey's thoughts. I believe some of the 'lean' principles that are the current buzzwords work against some of his thoughts, and if it isn't the lean program itself that is to blame, it is a post-recession mindframe of being efficient to the point of overwork. This overwork might make people cheat on the principles taught in this book that work. Also, the sheer enormity of major corporations means it can be impractical (Covey still suggests what to do if this is the situation you are in).

Some may find Covey preachy. It is not explicitly stated, but clearly he believes in a Christ-led life. His examples usually follow in some way -the servant leader mentality. There's Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Mandela, Eisenhower and that Steve Earle/Killer Angels favorite General Joshua Chamberlain.

I don't see it as a bad thing. Regardless of your beliefs, a strongly principled system as taken from the Gospels is a pretty good road to follow. There might not be an Enron or Anthony Wiener or other similar scandals had those principles been adhered to.

All of that said, there was a lot to take away from this book. It's certainly recommended for those who like books like this. It may even be life-changing for you. There are plenty of things here that may help you regardless of age and regardless of situation you are in. The examples are strong and stick in your mind awhile. The book blends textbook background and anecdotes in a way that it has a balance between being readable and grounded in teaching the principles. There is a DVD (online videos) when you buy or borrow the book from the library. I appreciate the idea of taking the book to the next level and going beyond standard textbook learning. I have heard the videos are very good. However, due to constraints, I did not view them

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." - Marianne Williamson

"Those who develop increasing inner power and freedom to choose can also become what I call a transition person - one who stops unworthy tendencies from being passed on from prior generations to those that follow."
Concept of moving between management and leadership, and understand the differences and appropriate times.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is yet another great book by Stephen R. Covey.

Here's a synopsis: The new Information/Knowledge Worker Age, exemplified by the Internet, calls for an eighth habit to achieve personal and organizational excellence: "Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs." Covey sees leadership "as a choice to deal with people in a way that will communicate to them their worth and potential so clearly they will come to see it in themselves." His holistic approach starts with developing one's own voice, one's "unique personal significance." The bulk of the book details how, after finding your own voice, you can inspire others and create a workplace where people feel engaged. This includes establishing trust, searching for third alternatives (not a compromise between your way and my way, but a third, better way) and developing a shared vision. This book isn't easy going; less business jargon and more practical examples would have made this livelier and more helpful.

[Oleksandr Golovatyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another masterpiece by Stephen Kovy. Genius book. Foliage in everything agrees with the autumn. This book should be read to everyone, in my opinion
-------------------
Ще один шедевр від Стівена Кові. Геніальна книжка. Повністью у всьому згоден з автром. Цю книжку варто прочитати кожному, на мою думку

[Robert Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book on leadership I have read to date. Some books focus on a single narrow aspect of leadership, this book takes a very holistic approach to the topic. The book also does a decent job of covering the predecessor book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, so this is a bonus if you have not read that book.

The constant comparison and analysis of the leadership styles used in the Industrial Age vs. those required in the Knowledge Worker Age was excellent.

[نورة · Rating 2 out of 5]

قرأت هذا الكتاب مع العلم بأني لم أقرأ العادات السبع :) والسبب هو أن العادات السبع اكتفيت منها لكثرة ما أسمع بها في الدورات وغيرها
المهم هو أني بشكل عام اكتشتف بأن هذا النوع من الكتب لم يعد يثير اهتمامي كالسابق (تطوير الذات) والسبب هو أنه لا جديد معلومات ينقصنا ما ينقصنا هو التطبيق يا سادة ..

[Tareef Mando · Rating 2 out of 5]

أقل من عادي. معظم الفصول والفقرات الجيدة كانت مُقتبسة من كتاب العادات السبع. عنوان الكتاب نفسه هو استثمار في نجاح كتاب العادات السبع.
بدايته حتى منتصفه يستحق ثلاث نجوم ونصف ولكن مع إنهاء الكتاب شعرتُ أن نجمتين للإجمال كانت كافية.

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen Covey's books are outstanding regarding leadership and habits.

In the 8th Habit, Covey focuses on moving from effectiveness to greatness.

Key takeaways include:
1. There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come
2. Become an island of excellence in a sea of mediocrity
3. The road well traveled leads to mediocrity
4. Mediocrity straight jackets huma potential
5. To inspire is to breathe live into others
6. The best way to get people to learn is to turn them into teachers
7. Habits lie at the intersection of knowledge, attitude and skill
8. Engage in work that taps your talent and fuels your passion

Strongly recommend!

[Dr. Tobias Christian Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can you inspire people and an organization through intelligence? - this question got answered by reading this book. It helps to grasp to understand that it’s important to find your own and other voices and support you and others right.

A well put book.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book is like putting everything that I have learned about being a human in to proper perspective. It gave me very useful insights that anyone can use to be more effective person over all.

What clearly resonated for me in this wonderful work of Stephen R. Covey is the idea that any human being is composed of 4 essential core: body, mind, heart, and spirit. I order to be happy, effective and successful in life, one must be able to strike a the right balance among the four. It reminded me that I should not only take care of my physical body by eating healthy, exercising, and relaxing. It is important also to nourish my mind by learning new things; develop and maintain good relationship in our family and community; as well as live with purpose and meaning. For me this is a very sound advice and helped me take a closer look at the imbalance in my own life.

Covey delivered his ideas very convincingly through numerous examples like stories of people, quotes from well known authors and public figures, etc. What's unique in this book is his use of a reference website to make the reading experience more interactive. While others may not like the idea of going to a website while reading the book, I like it very much since it kept me engaged and the films helped illustrate the ideas more effectively.

If you haven't notice this book is the sequel to Covey's best seller, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. This latter book is one of the most influential books in my life. If you contemplate on reading The 8th Habit, I suggest that you read the 7 Habits first.

In the end, I just would like to thank Stephen R. Covey for bringing this book out. One trait that I admire most about him is his humility. I am sure that if you read this book, you will see what I mean.

[~nikki the recovering book addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book. As I build my own startup, the visions I have for it had seem rather idealistic and on the verge of being “just a dream in an ideal world” but reading this book has given me conviction that it’s not idealistic and it’s not just a dream nor will it only happen in an ideal world. It tells me it’s the right thing to do and is honestly the only step forward that we as a society is hungry for but unable to achieve as yet.

The only reason it’s not five stars is, the book referenced many movies the author made available for us to watch as illustration BUT is no longer available on the website it pointed to. So that’s a bummer.

Ultimately though, I appreciated this book because it’s what I hope to build. And Dr Covey has given me tools to achieve it. Here’s to hoping I manage it! 🤞

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read. Stephen Covey is an excellent teacher and author. He teaches principles that if you can implement into your personal and work life, will truly make a difference to you and those you come in contact with. I checked this out of the library, but I want to buy a copy for my own collection. I would like to have it to review from time to time. I think it will truly make a difference in my life. The 8th Habit is to find your "voice" and help others to find their voice. Your voice is a combination of 4 things: your talents, your passions, your needs, and your conscience. As you find your voice, which is at the core of everybody, you will be able to accomplish great things and truly make a difference in life both personal and professional. Covey recommends reading a chapter each month and trying to implement the principles taught before reading the next chapter. I plan to buy this book so I can follow this plan. It was truly and amazing book and I highly recommend that everyone read it! It even comes with a companion DVD which helps to teach and reinforce the priciples taught in the book.

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this book on CD, as I do most "self-help: books. I like to skim these for information and ideas rather than word for word and listening lends to this reading style. I really enjoyed the first few chapters of this book, thought they were well written and insightful. My appreciation for well-known principles spoken in new ways was satisfied. However, from here on out, the book really started to dry up for me, and I don't know that I would recommend it to anyone. Well, I might recommend the first half, which would be pretty much like reading the whole book. Covey's writing reads to me more like a journal entry or the transcript from a counseling session than a list of habits, which never fails to perplex me given the titles "7 habits" and "the 8th habit." I take to objection to this principles in his books, guess I've just become familiar to the point of boredom.

[Ahmad Tekriti · Rating 5 out of 5]

الكتاب أشبه بورشة عمل حقيقية ممتعة تأخذها مع ستيفن كوفي.
ينقاشك بخبرته عن فلسفتك بالعيش كإنسان متكامل الروح، القلب، العقل و الجسد. كيف ستتعامل مع كل كيان ؟ وهل يستطيع الإنسان في هذا العصر التعامل مع هذه الكيانات الأربعة حتى ضمن العمل ؟ كيف تطور الإنسان في التعامل مع هذه الكيانات من عصر الصياد، الزراعي، الصناعي حتى المعرفي ؟
ما خصائص عصر المعرفة ؟ كيف يجد الإنسان صوته الداخلي ؟ ما هي المقومات الاربعة التي تجعل من صوت الإنسان أمرا ملموسا ؟
كيف نستطيع تطبيق هذه الأفكار على مؤسسات وكيف نحدث تغييرا فيها ؟ كيف نتعامل ... ؟ ما هي النشاطات الأربعة الأساسية التي تجعل من المؤسسات مراكز لخدمة الإنسان ؟

الجميل في الكتاب أن يتحدث مع الناس بطريقة واقعية وعملية. لا يطالبك بتغيير العالم بعد قراءة كتابه ب 10 دقائق. إنما يضيء لك على أمور تستطيع العمل بها إن أحبب ذلك

[JC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the previous book, 7 habits, this is a book I'd like to have on my own bookshelf at home as there are lots and lots of things to implement into the way I live my life and how I work. This book is a followup as the original 7 habits were written back in 1989, and while still applicable there are new ways to really apply them. The main theme of the book is to find your own voice and be your own person. You must know what you believe and then learn to apply everything together. Overall a very effective plan and the companion videos are also really fun to add to the book. Lots of things for me to work on. Now I need a copy for reference.

[Spens (Sphynx Reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved The 7 Habits, but this? UGH. Unlike the 7 Habits, this book was kind of all over the place and repetitive. It referenced the 7 Habits and referred to the companion films so much that I didn't even see the point of the book. The 7 Habits was very organized and simple, it just went through each of the habits and discussed them, occasionally explained how they are interrelated. This on the other hand used such a complex model that I gave up trying to understand it halfway through. It should be said I don't usually read self-help/business books so that might be part of why I disliked this book.

[Elizabeth Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" remains a class manual for focusing and improving the quality of one's own life. Here, he adds the 8th habit; in his words, 'Finding your voice and helping others find theirs". In other words, leadership and inspiration. Covey suggests taking an entire year to work through the principles and specific suggestions here. It's so jam packed with great ideas and insights I'd love to spend that year on the book, and work with others in exploring and enacting it.

[Harley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book as a follow-up to the 7 Habits book. In fact, it's good even without that, as it presents a holistic view of people, their needs, and how to acheive greatness. It also addresses how many people really are just existing rather than living life to the max. I want to buy my own copy so I can go through it slowly over a year and put into practice all the suggestions I see I need. Highly recommended!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and picked up "The 8th Habit" as a result. There are a lot of new concepts he introduces, primarily concepts surrounding leadership. At first I felt the book was repetitive, as there were many concepts and illustrative anecdotes which were taken directly from "7 Habits". However, towards the last 25% of the book, I really felt things came together and that is where I learned the most.