333 Inspiring Quotes by Stephen Covey

Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs.

Listen with the intent to understand, not the intent to reply.

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

When you show deep empathy toward others, their defensive energy goes down, and positive energy replaces it. That's when you can get more creative in solving problems.

Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.

Your most important work is always ahead of you, never behind you.

Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships.

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

When one side benefits more than the other, that's a win-lose situation. To the winner it might look like success for a while, but in the long run, it breeds resentment and distrust.

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.

The true identity theft is not financial. It's not in cyberspace. It's spiritual. It's been taken.

If we keep doing what we're doing, we're going to keep getting what we're getting.

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.

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

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.

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.

The world has entered an era of the most profound and challenging change in human history.

I affirm to you the tremendous potential you have, not beyond anything you could ever imagine.

What is common sense isn't common practice.

Instead, I have an abundance mentality: When people are genuinely happy at the successes of others, the pie gets larger.

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

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

Begin with the end in mind.

There's strong data that, within companies, the No. 1 reason for ethical violations is the pressure to meet expectations, sometimes unrealistic expectations.

Synergy is what happens when one plus one equals ten or a hundred or even a thousand! It's the profound result when two or more respectful human beings determine to go beyond their preconceived ideas to meet a great challenge.

If there's one thing that's certain in business, it's uncertainty.

Some habits of ineffectiveness are rooted in our social conditioning toward quick-fix, short-term thinking.

Remember, we are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

Reactive people... are often affected by their physical environment. They find external sources to blame for their behavior.

There is a heavy emphasis in Mormonism on initiative, on responsibility, on a work ethic, and on education. If you take those elements together with a free-enterprise system, you've got the chemistry for a lot of industry.

It's amazing how confused and distracted and misdirected so many people are.

Between stimulus and response, there is a space where we choose our response.

You're not a product of your nature. That is your genetic makeup or your nurture, the things that have happened to you. Of course those things affect you powerfully, but they do not determine you.

The challenge of work-life balance is without question one of the most significant struggles faced by modern man.

Leadership is a choice, not a position.

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.

The more people rationalize cheating, the more it becomes a culture of dishonesty. And that can become a vicious, downward cycle. Because suddenly, if everyone else is cheating, you feel a need to cheat, too.

How can you possibly reconcile the justice of God with the idea that only through Christ can you be saved? Most of the world lives and dies and never even hears of Christ. There has to be some mechanism set up for all those who have ever lived to have an opportunity to hear of Christ.

Studies have identified a significant 'skills gap' between what students are currently being taught and the skills employers are seeking in today's global economy. Our children must be better prepared than they are now to meet the future challenges of our ever-changing world.

Every time you think the problem is 'out there,' that very thought is the problem.

In school, many of us procrastinate and then successfully cram for tests. We get the grades and degrees we need to get the jobs we want, even if we fail to get a good general education.

The solutions to our problems are and always will be based upon universal, timeless, self-evident principles common to every enduring, prospering society throughout history.

Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.

Live your life by a compass, not a clock.

Start with the end in mind.

If you start to think the problem is ‘out there,' stop yourself. That thought is the problem.

It takes a great deal of character strength to apologize quickly out of one's heart rather than out of pity.

You can buy a person's hands but you can't buy his heart.

We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.

Beginners are many; finishers are few.

Self-mastery and self-discipline are the foundation of good relationships with others.

Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.

Paradigms are powerful because they create the lens through which we see the world.

Our character is basically a composite of our habits.

The most important ingredient we put into any relationship is not what we say or what we do, but what we are.

I believe that a life of integrity I the most fundamental source of personal worth. I do not agree with the popular success literature that says that self-esteem is primarily a matter of mind set, of attitude-that you can psych yourself into peace of mind. Peace of mind comes when your life is in harmony with true principles and values and in no other way.

Someone once inquired of a Far Eastern Zen master, who had a great serenity and peace about him no matter what pressures he faced, "How do you maintain that serenity and peace?" He replied, "I never leave my place of meditation." He meditated early in the morning and for the rest of the day, he carried the peace of those moments with him in his mind and heart.

Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.

The person who is truly effective has the humility and reverence to recognize his own perceptual limitations and to appreciate the rich resources available through interaction with the hearts and minds of other human beings.

The heart and soul of loving yourself is integrity and the peace of conscience it inspires.

We're responsible for our own lives.

Humility is the mother of all virtues: the humble in spirit progress and are blessed because they willingly submit to higher powers and try to live in harmony with natural laws and universal principles. Courage is the father of all virtues; we need great courage to lead our lives by correct principles and to have integrity in the moment of choice.

The commitments we make to ourselves and to others, and our integrity to those commitments, is the essence and clearest manifestation of our proactivity.

Our greatest joy and our greatest pain comes in our relationships with others.

The character ethic, which I believe to be the foundation of success, teaches that there are basic principles of effective living, and that people can only experience true success and enduring happiness as they learn and integrate these principles into their basic character.

Trust is the one thing that affects everything else you're doing. It's a performance multiplier which takes your trajectory upwards, for every activity you engage in, from strategy to execution.

Strategy is important, but trust is the hidden variable. On paper you can have clarity around your objectives, but in a low-trust environment, your strategy won't be executed.

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are──or, as we are conditioned to see it.

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.

The first principle of ethical power is Purpose. By purpose, I don't mean your objective or intention-something toward which you are always striving. Purpose is something bigger. It is the picture you have of yourself-the kind of person you want to be or the kind of life you want to lead.

Private victories precede public victories.

Wisdom is your perspective on life, your sense of balance, your understanding of how the various parts and principles apply and relate to each other.

Nothing is more exciting and bonding in relationships than creating together.

We hear a lot about identity theft when someone takes your wallet and pretends to be you and uses your credit cards. But the more serious identity theft is to get swallowed up in other people's definition of you.

As long as you think the problem is out there, that very thought is the problem.

Peace of mind comes when your life is in harmony with true principles and values and in no other way.

Whenever you experience stress of any kind, look into yourself and ask, In what way am I compromising my innermost values in this situation?

Empathy takes time, and efficiency is for things, not people.

Opposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition -- such as lifting weights -- we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.

Anything less than a conscious commitment to the important is an unconscious commitment to the unimportant.

If you focus on principles, you empower everyone who understands those principles to act without constant monitoring, evaluating, correcting, or controlling.

If the only vision we have of ourselves comes from the social mirror -- from the current social paradigm and from the opinions, perceptions, and paradigms of the people around us -- our view of ourselves is like the reflection in a crazy mirror room at the carnival.

We're often so busy cutting through the undergrowth we don't even realise we're in the wrong jungle.

If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.

Most people say their main fault is a lack of discipline. On deeper thought, I believe this is not the case. The basic problem is that their priorities have not become deeply planted in their hearts and minds.

One of the most important ways to manifest integrity is to be loyal to those who are not present. In doing so, we build the trust of those who are present.

Too many vacations that last too long, too many movies, too much TV, too much video game playing -- too much undisciplined leisure time in which a person continually takes the course of least resistance gradually wastes a life. It ensures that a person's capacities stay dormant, that talents remain undeveloped, that the mind and spirit become lethargic and that the heart remains unfulfilled.

An empowering mission statement has to become a living document, part of our very nature, so that the criteria we've put into it are also in us, in the way we live our lives day by day.

Start small, make a promise and keep it. Then, make larger promises and keep them. Eventually, your honor will become greater than your moods or your circumstances, which includes your medical condition and other people's stereotypic observations. Once you overcome this comparison based mentality, your confidence will soar.

It doesn't really matter how fast you're going if you're heading in the wrong direction.

People are social beings and want interaction and social learning is the primary form of learning, just as word of mouth advertising is the highest form of advertising.

Most learning is social, or what I call the cultural DNA. Everyone knows that word of mouth advertising is the best advertising. That's social learning.

I am fortunate to have a very helpful team that enables me to spend time doing things that are important but not necessarily urgent. People who have no such team need to also make these larger decisions so that they can cheerfully say No to that which is urgent but not important.

Do what is important, not what is urgent.

When a person has access to both the intuitive, creative and visual right brain, and the analytical, logical, verbal left brain, then the whole brain is working...And this tool is best suited to the reality of what life is, because life is not just logical-it is also emotional.

In effective personal leadership, visualization and affirmation techniques emerge naturally out of a foundation of well thought through purposes and principles that become the center of a person's life.

How many on their deathbeds wished they'd spent more time at the office -- or watching TV? The answer is, No one.

There are principles that govern human effectiveness -- natural laws in the human dimension that are just as real, just as unchanging and unarguably there as laws such as gravity are in the physical dimension.

Principles are the basis for developing a vision and value system for all.

We must not let the actions or words of others determine our responses. Magnanimous people make the choice to respond to the indignities of others based upon their own principles and their own value system rather than their moods or anger.

Satisfied needs do not motivate. It's only the unsatisfied need that motivates. Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival -- to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated.

Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic.

The leader is the one who climbs the tallest tree, surveys the entire situation, and yells, 'Wrong jungle!' ... Busy, efficient producers and managers often respond ... 'Shut up! We're making progress!'

Trust is a function of two things: character and competence. Character includes your integrity, your motive and your intent with people. Competence includes your capabilities, your skills, and your track record. Both are vital.

When trust is high, the dividend you receive is like a performance multiplier, elevating and improving every dimension of your organization and your life.... In a company, high trust materially improves communication, collaboration, execution, innovation, strategy, engagement, partnering, and relationships with all stakeholders.

When we succumb to believing that we are victims of our circumstances and yield to the plight of determinism, we lose hope, we lose drive, and we settle into resignation and stagnation.

I believe that the habit of constant reading of good books and scholarly periodicals and magazines in many disciplines is vital to give a larger perspective and to constantly sense the interdependent nature of life.

If I were to summarize in one sentence the single most important principle I have learned in the field of interpersonal relations, it would be this: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. This principle is the key to effective interpersonal communication.

In our own lives, having a mind-set of expecting to win increases our odds of winning. It helps us get better results. And better results help us increase our credibility and self-confidence, which leads to more positive self-expectancy, and more winning -- and the upward cycle continues. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Valuing differences is what really drives synergy. Do you truly value the mental, emotional, and psychological differences among people? Or do you wish everyone would just agree with you so you could all get along? Many people mistake uniformity for unity; sameness for oneness. One word -- boring! Differences should be seen as strengths, not weaknesses. They add zest to life.

Make small commitments and keep them. Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic. Be a part of the solution, not the problem.

A good affirmation has five basic ingredients: it's personal, it's positive, it's present tense, it's visual, and it's emotional.

To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you're going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.

Building and repairing relationships are long-term investments.

Look at the word responsibility-"response-ability"-the ability to choose your response. Highly proactive people recognize that responsibility. They do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. Their behavior is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feeling.

If we spend most of our time concerned about things we cannot truly directly influence, what we can influence will be reduced. If we spend our energies on those things over which we can expect positive results, we will expand our influence.

Vital to quality of life is the ability to work together, learn from each other, and help each other grow.

All the well-meaning advice in the world won't amount to a hill of beans if we're not even addressing the real problem.

Principles always have natural consequences attached to them. There are positive consequences when we live in harmony with the principles. There are negative consequences when we ignore them. But because these principles apply to everyone, whether or not they are aware, this limitation is universal. And the more we know of correct principles, the greater is our personal freedom to act wisely.

Intrinsic security doesn't come from what other people think of us or how they treat us. It doesn't come from our circumstance or out position. It comes from within. It comes from accurate paradigms and correct principles deep in our own mind and heart. It comes from inside-out congruence, from living a life of integrity in which our daily habits reflect our deepest values.

Belief is another word for paradigm. It's a synonymous. Your belief of the way things are. Values are the way things should be, it's a paradigm of the way things should be. Beliefs are the paradigms of the way things are.

When you have a challenge and the response is equal to the challenge, that's called 'success.' But once you have a new challenge, the old, once-successful response no longer works. That's why it is called a 'failure.'

Nevertheless, the only way we can move from where we are now to where we would like to be is to accept where we are now.

Management is formal authority given from above. Leadership is moral authority given from below and all around.

People don't listen to understand. They listen to reply. The collective monologue is everyone talking and no one listening.

Leadership without mutual trust is a contradiction in terms.

The role of the leader is to foster mutual respect and build a complementary team where each strength is made productive and each weakness irrelevant.

Employees are given the chance to help shape their company by participating in a company-wide communications program making suggestions on waste reduction, environmental improvement, customer satisfaction, quality improvement, and safety issues.

This is the single most powerful investment we can ever make in life--investment in ourselves, in the only instrument we have with which to deal with life and to contribute.

When the external factors over which one has no control in a way start to become negative, it starts to affect our creative juices.

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!

All things are created twice.

Empathic listening is so powerful because it gives you accurate data to work with. Instead of projecting your own autobiography and assuming thoughts, feelings, motives and interpretation, you're dealing with the reality inside another person's head and heart. You're listening to understand. You're focused on receiving the deep communication of another human soul.

Security represents your sense of worth, your identity, your emotional anchorage, your self-esteem, your basic personal strength or lack of it.

When people have a real sense of legacy, a sense of mattering, a sense of contribution, it seems to tap into the deepest part of their heart and soul. It brings out the best and subordinates the rest.

The universal elements are integrity, vision, discipline, passion, governed by conscience. Conscience has been educated through studying and pondering the universal, timeless principles of all six major world religions.

The principle of fasting is taught in almost all major world religions as a means of developing a higher level of self-mastery and self-control, and also a deeper awareness of how really dependent we are.

Win-win is a belief in the Third Alternative. It's not your way or my way; it's a better way, a higher way.

Where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going. Rather than always focusing on what's urgent, learn to focus on what is really important.