Stephen Covey Quotes

Without exception, empathy is always appropriate.

In the long run, you can never accomplish a worthy end with an unworthy means.

We not not our feelings. We are not our moods. We not even our thoughts.

when you get a good night's sleep and wake up ready to produce throughout the day.

What is common sense isn't common practice.

Balance isn't either/or; it's 'and'.

Find your voice, and inspire others to find theirs. Don't ignore that longing to make a difference.

To set and work toward any goal is an act of courage.

Values determine behavior; Principles determine the consequences of behavior.

Where there's no gardener, there's no garden.

To judge individuals before understanding them is a form of human rejection and feeds upon itself.

When we pick up one end of the stick, we pick up the other.

I think that [respect for people] is of profound importance because it means you are caring and you trust them to do the right thing.

Trust is the glue that holds everything together.

As we create synergy among the roles of our lives, there's more of us to put into the time we have.

The deepest desire of the human spirit is to be acknowledged.

Effective interdependence can only be built on true independence.

Consult the wisdom of your heart as well as your mind.

The worldly fountain does not breed spiritual depth.

Distinguish between the person and the behavior or performance.

The great contributors in life are those who, though afraid of the knock at the door, still answer it.

True independence of character empowers us to act rather than be acted upon.

Nothing is as fast as the speed of trust.

Make time for planning: Wars are won in the general's tent.

Perhaps a sense of possessing needs to come to come before a sense of genuine sharing.

When our honor becomes greater than our moods, that is where transformation happens

We're constantly making choices about the way we spend our time. The issue is not between the good and the bad, but between the good and the best. So often, the enemy of the best is the good.

Every exaggeration of the truth once detected by others destroys our credibility and makes all that we do and say suspect.

If you don't know yourself, if you don't control yourself, if you don't have mastery over yourself, it's very hard to like yourself, except in some short-term, psych-up, superficial way.

Trust is equal parts character and competence... You can look at any leadership failure, and it's always a failure of one or the other.

Whether you're on a sports team, in an office or a member of a family, if you can't trust one another there's going to be trouble.

Those who get the most out of life and those who give the most are those who make the choice to act.

It is extremely ironic that the more we care about what people think about us the less we care about people, and the less we care about what people think about us the more we begin to care for others

Over time, I have come to this simple definition of leadership: Leadership is getting results in a way that inspires trust.

Want balance in your life? Then sure, get your own act together, but don't forget four powerful disciplines of execution in your team and organization.

I win the private victory when I have made my mind up and commit to live by correct principles and to serve worthy purposes.

Trust is clearly a key competency. A competency or skill that can be learned, taught, and improved and one that talent can be screened for.

Through it all I have learned that parenting is basically a life of self sacrifice.

I keep my phone number unlisted and rely on my associates to handle all voice mail, e-mail, faxes.

You basically get what you reward. If you want to achieve the goals and reflect the values in your mission statement, then you need to align the reward system with these goals and values.

Consequences are governed by principles, and behavior is governed by values; therefore, value principles!

The ability to manage well doesn't make much difference if you're not even in the right jungle.

It's not only a matter of when to do things, but whether or not to do them at all.

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

Keep in mind that you are always saying "no" to something. If it isn't to the apparent and urgent things in your life, it is probably to the most fundamental, highly important things.

Perhaps the greatest role of parenting, more than directing and telling children what to do, [is] helping [children] connect with their own gifts, particularly conscience.

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

Trust is the glue in relationships and organizations

Only 20 percent of employees working in large organizations surveyed feel their strengths are in play every day. Thus, eight our of ten employees surveyed feel somewhat miscast in their role.

You can say you love someone - but unless you demonstrate that love through your actions, your words become meaningless.