Seven Habits of Highly Effective People reviewed by Julie Robinson in Leadership Lunch and Learn

by Lisa Davis - March 28, 2024

The March Leadership Lunch and Learn book review was presented by Dr. Julie Robinson, associate professor at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. She reviewed The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, a book that has empowered and inspired readers for more than 30 years.

Watch the March Lunch and Learn

This book teaches how to move from a state of dependence to independence, and finally to interdependence. While society and most of the self-help books on the market champion independence as the highest achievement, Covey argues that it’s interdependence that yields the greatest results.

Interdependence is a more mature, advanced concept. It precludes the knowledge that you are an independent being, but that working with others will produce greater results than working on your own. To attain this level of interdependence, you must cultivate each of the seven habits laid out in the book.

Robinson’s review takes viewers through each of the seven habits.

1. Be Proactive

Take responsibility for your life and actions and focus on what you can control rather than what you can't.

2. Begin with the End in Mind

Define your goals and purpose in life and use them as a guide to make decisions and prioritize your actions.

3. Put First Things First

Prioritize your time and energy on the essential things in your life and learn to say "no" to less important things.

4. Think Win-Win

Seek mutual benefit in all interactions and relationships and look for solutions that benefit all parties involved.

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Listen empathetically and seek to understand others' perspectives before expressing your own.

6. Synergize

Work collaboratively with others to achieve goals and create outcomes more significant than any individual could achieve alone.

7. Sharpen the Saw

Take time to renew and improve yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for continued success.

The Leadership Lunch and Learn Book Review series features leadership experts from across the south. Each presenter reviews a leadership development book. The series gives you the opportunity to hear the cliff notes version of many popular leadership development books. Join us for future book reviews.