Intro

On December 29, 2021, Productivity Book Group hosted its final book discussion of the year, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness by Stephen R. Covey, PhD.

Buy a copy on Amazon, bring a copy home from your local, independent bookstore, or borrow a copy from your local library, and listen to the discussion above! (Note: Amazon is showing the cover of the The 8th Habit Personal Workbook for the book, so it’s a bit confusing. But, the links here to the Amazon listings are for the book (you’ll see the title is correct), not the personal workbook. However, I also recommend that if you want to work through the 8th habit materials, the personal workbook is worth getting also!) 

Enjoy the discussion!

About Stephen R. Covey, PhD (Adapted from Wikipedia)

“Stephen R. Covey was an American educator, author, business leader, [co-founder of FranklinCovey Co.,] and keynote speaker. [Author of more than a dozen works, h]is 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 [Americans]. He was a Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chair in Leadership and professor at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University at the time of his death [in April 2012 from complications from a bicycling accident].” Covey is survived by his wife, nine children and 55 grandchildren.

About the Book (Amazon)

Over half a million copies sold.

From the author that brought you the New York Times bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People comes a guide to accessing and encouraging the human potential for greatness.

In the more than twenty-five years since its publication, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has become an international phenomenon with more than twenty-five million copies sold. Tens of millions of people in business, government, and schools have dramatically improved their lives and organizations by applying the principles of Stephen R. Covey’s classic book.

The world, however, is a vastly changed place. Being effective as individuals and organizations is no longer merely an option—it’s a requirement for survival. But in order to thrive, innovate, excel, and lead in what Covey calls the “New Knowledge Worker Age,” we must build on and move beyond effectiveness. In this era of human history, our call is for greatness—holistic fulfillment, passionate execution, and significant contribution.

Accessing the higher levels of human genius in today’s new reality requires a change in thinking: a new mindset and a new skill-set—in short, a new habit. The crucial challenge of our world today is this: to find our voice and inspire others to find theirs. It is what Covey calls the 8th Habit. The 8th Habit is the answer to the soul’s yearning for greatness, the organization’s imperative for significance and superior results, and humanity’s search for its “voice.”

Covey’s books have transformed the way we think about ourselves, our purpose in life, our organizations, and about humankind. Just as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People helped us focus on effectiveness, The 8th Habit shows us the way to greatness.

Our next reading selections are:

Show Notes:

(Please listen to understand the context of the resources provided. If we missed something, please comment on the episode and let us know!)

• Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute by Ken Blanchard, PhD
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 30th Anniversary Edition by Stephen R. Covey, PhD with Sean Covey
  • Book Discussion for 7 Habits
• The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Revised and Updated: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling with Scott Thele and Beverly Walker
  • ProductivityCast‘s book discussion for 4 Disciplines of Execution

The callers you hear in this episode are readers just like you, and you are more than welcome to join us on the live calls to discuss productivity books too! Please visit ProductivityBookGroup.org and find out the details and the schedule for upcoming book discussion calls. If you plan to read ahead or read a little more slowly, please visit ProductivityBookGroup.org and check out the schedule on the “Upcoming Books” page.

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Also, all podcast episodes are archived at ProductivityBookGroup.org under “Episodes” so if you missed a call and want to review it, feel free to head over and give them a listen.

Finally, we have a space digital community where we can discuss the books we’re reading. You can access it on the Web, as well as via Android and iOS apps, and we’re very excited to have you join us there. Please visit http://productivitybookgroup.org/community and you will be taken to the new digital community to join. See you there!

Note: All registered service marks, trademarks and other copyrighted materials mentioned on the podcast are that of their respective owners. This group is not affiliated with or officially endorsed by those copyright owners.