Quote

Principles are natural laws that are external to us and that ultimately control the consequences of our actions. Values are internal and subjective and represent that which we feel strongest about in guiding our behavior.

Stephen Covey

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Stephen Covey
Age: 79 †
Born: 1932
Born: October 24
Died: 2012
Died: July 16
Author
Businessperson
Professor
Writer
Salt Lake City
Utah
Stephen Richards Covey
Control
Strongest
Law
Consequences
Values
Ultimately
Guiding
Natural
Actions
Subjective
Action
Consequence
Internals
Feel
Laws
Internal
Feels
Behavior
External
Principles
Represent

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The greatest and most inspiring mountain climbing achievements in history are not so much stories of individual achievement, but are stories of the extraordinary power of a unified, talented, prepared team that stays loyally committed to one another and to their shared vision to the end.
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Keeping a personal journal a daily in-depth analysis and evaluation of your experiences is a high-leverage activity that increases self-awareness and enhances all the endowments and the synergy among them.
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When the trust account is high, communication is easy, instant, and effective.
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Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment.
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If you don't choose to do it in leadership time up front, you do it in crisis management time down the road.
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To set and work toward any goal is an act of courage.
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Effective communication is built on the cement of trust. And trust is based on trustworthiness, not politics.
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If we want to make relatively minor changes in our lives, we can perhaps appropriately focus on our attitudes and behaviors. But if we want to make significant, quantum change, we need to work on our basic paradigms.
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If I really want to improve my situation, I can work on the one thing over which I have control - myself.
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Retire from your job but never from meaningful projects. If you want to live a long life, you need eustress, that is, a deep sense of meaning and of contribution to worthy projects and causes, particularly, your intergenerational family.
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All things are created twice. All things. Vision is the first creation. For a house it's called the blueprint. For a life it's called a mission. For a day it's called a goal and a plan. For a parent it's called a belief in the unseen potential of a child. For all, it is the mental creation which always precedes the physical, or second, creation.
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Interdependency follows independence.
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Your most important work is always ahead of you, never behind you.
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The only person over whom you have direct and immediate control is yourself. The most important assets to develop, preserve and enhance, therefore, are your own capabilities. And no one can do it for you. You must cultivate the habit of leadership effectiveness for yourself - and doing so will be the single best investment you will ever make.
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How many on their deathbeds wished they'd spent more time at the office - or watching TV? The answer is, No one.
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It takes courage to realize that you are greater than your moods, greater than your thoughts, and that you can control your moods and thoughts.
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It's not enough to have values without vision you want to be good, but you want to be good for something. On the other hand, vision without values can create a Hitler . An empowering mission statement deals with both character and competence what you want to be and what you want to do in your life.
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Principles are the simplicity on the far side of complexity.
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Will we act upon life, or will we merely be acted upon?
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'In empathic listening you listen with your ears, but you also, and more importantly, listen with you eyes and with your heart. You listen for feeling, for meaning. You listen for behaviour. You use your right brain as well as your left. You sense, you intuit, you feel.' ... 'You have to open yourself up to be influenced'.
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