How to become highly effective? – Book Review

7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.

Reading Time: 4 min

We all aim to improve our lives and become as effective as possible. Do you believe that by following certain habits we could become highly effective? Let’s explore some habits outlined by the author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People with some of my personal thoughts.

While we cannot control everything around us, we can control almost everything about ourselves. Unlike many other creatures in this world, we can become highly self-aware, allowing us to pause, reflect and decide how we respond to everything and anyone that is within our external environment.

Be Proactive

This brings us to our first habit, “be proactive”. Respond to the external world in a way you want to respond, rather than react in the way you may regret. A positive attitude always wins, helping you make some friends and build strong partnerships along the way.

Begin with the End in Mind

“Focus on results” — visualise your outcomes before taking actions. Without clear vision of the desired outcome, you may find yourself repeating the process multiple times. Follow the triple “T”- Think Things Through! Begin every task with clear intention: What do you truly intend to achieve? What values do you wish to uphold? A clear vision and effective communication can help to lead your team and provide a sense of direction.

Put First Things First

“Put first things first” – with busy schedules, hundreds of emails, lengthy documents to read, and numerous meetings and calls, many of us struggle to stay on the top of everything. We chase deadline after deadline. But there is a better way to manage your tasks.

The author argues that our tasks can be grouped into four categories:

Focusing and planning on the second group of tasks (important, but not urgent tasks) will likely yield the biggest payoffs and help manage the urgent tasks more effectively. This seems logical and certainly worth giving a shot. Would you consider prioritising this way?

Think Win-Win

“Pursue Win-Win” outcomes for yourself and your partners. No one likes to lose, aim for compromises and collective solutions. Combine this with “Listening first” rather that offering solutions before understanding the problem. Listen sincerely to others before trying to communicate your own point. This habit builds mutual respect and understanding, which is essential for effective collaboration. Learn to listen with sincere interest. Pay attention to emotions, verbal and non-verbal communication, to gain true insight and deeper understanding of your stakeholders.

Synergise

One of my favourite is to “Empower People” build teams where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A safe and open environment fosters growth and increases team contributions. Favour team shared rewards and collaboration over competition.

Sharpen the Saw

Take care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Regularly evaluate and improve your habits to maintain high effectiveness.

For more in-depth insight and other useful habits to become a highly effective individual, I recommend reading Stephen R. Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”

In summary, to achieve your goals and become super effective, aim to:

• Be in control – respond to the world, not just react to it. Maintain a positive attitude.
• Determine your goals and wishes
• Visualise your desired outcomes before taking actions.
• Communicate your vision clearly with understanding.
• Focus on what is important
• Empower others
• Build strong relationships with win-win outcomes

Remember to recognise your accomplishments, stay aware of your self-improvements and track them. Make a list of qualities you want to work on and regularly evaluate your performance. Take care of yourself!

I hope you like the above summary. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.  Let me know how you effectively live your life.