Top 500 Stephen R. Covey Quotes (2023 Update)
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251. “Internal victories precede external victories.”

— Stephen R. Covey

252. “How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to do what really matters most.”

— Stephen R. Covey

253. “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.”

— Stephen R. Covey

254. “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.”

— Stephen R. Covey

255. “Our character is basically a composite of our habits.”

— Stephen R. Covey

256. “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.”

— Stephen R. Covey

257. “We don’t invent our missions, we detect them.”

— Stephen R. Covey

258. “Will we act upon life, or will we merely be acted upon?”

— Stephen R. Covey

259. “The fire inside people is like a match; the way to ignite that flame is initially through friction, then other matches are lit through warmth.”

— Stephen R. Covey

260. “As human beings, we are responsible for our own lives. Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions. We can subordinate feelings to values.”

— Stephen R. Covey

261. “We are product of neither nature nor nurture; we are a product of choice, because there is always a space between stimulus and response. As we wisely exercise our power to choose based on principles, the space will become larger.”

— Stephen R. Covey

262. “We accomplish all that we do through delegation – either to time or to other people.”

— Stephen R. Covey

263. “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 R. Covey

264. “As you care less about what people think of you, you will care more about what others think of themselves.”

— Stephen R. Covey

265. “It is possible to be busy-very busy-without being very effective.”

— Stephen R. Covey

266. “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.”

— Stephen R. Covey

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

— Stephen R. Covey

268. “Be sure that, as you scramble up the ladder of success, it is leaning against the right building.”

— Stephen R. Covey

269. “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.”

— Stephen R. Covey

270. “Treat them all the same by treating them differently.”

— Stephen R. Covey

271. “Involve people in the problem and work out the solution together.”

— Stephen R. Covey

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

— Stephen R. Covey

273. “Almost all of the world-class athletes and other peak performers are visualizers. They see it; they feel it; they experience it before hey actually do it. They begin with the end in mind.”

— Stephen R. Covey

274. “Make specific appointments with yourself to work on goals, and treat an appointment with yourself as you’d treat an appointment with anybody else.”

— Stephen R. Covey

275. “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.”

— Stephen R. Covey

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

— Stephen R. Covey

277. “Writing distills, crystallizes, and clarifies thought.”

— Stephen R. Covey

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

— Stephen R. Covey

279. “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.”

— Stephen R. Covey

280. “You will never be able to truly step inside another person, to see the world as he sees it, until you develop the pure desire, the strength of personal character, and the positive Emotional Bank Account, as well as the empathetic listening skills to do it.”

— Stephen R. Covey

281. “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.”

— Stephen R. Covey

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

— Stephen R. Covey

283. “Principles don’t die. They aren’t here one day and gone the next. They can’t be destroyed by fire, earthquake or theft. Principles are deep, fundamental truths, classic truths.”

— Stephen R. Covey

284. “A long, healthy, and happy life is the result of making contributions, of having meaningful projects that are personally exciting and contribute to and bless the lives of others.”

— Stephen R. Covey

285. “Being humble does not mean being weak, reticent, or self-effacing. It means recognizing principle and putting it ahead of self. It means standing firmly for principle, even in the fact of opposition.”

— Stephen R. Covey

286. “Frustration is a function of our expectations, and our expectations are often a reflection of the social mirror rather than our own values and priorities.”

— Stephen R. Covey

287. “Independent thinking alone is not suited to interdependent reality.”

— Stephen R. Covey

288. “You can’t talk your way out of a problem you behaved your way into!”

— Stephen R. Covey

289. “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.”

— Stephen R. Covey

290. “Little kindness and courtesies are so important. In relationships, the little things are the big things.”

— Stephen R. Covey

291. “The way we see things is the source of the way we think or the way we act.”

— Stephen R. Covey

292. “What does it matter how much we do if what we’re doing isn’t what matters most?”

— Stephen R. Covey

293. “Trust is the glue that holds everything together. It creates the environment in which all of the other elements win-win stewardship agreements, self-directing individuals and teams, aligned structures and systems, and accountability can flourish.”

— Stephen R. Covey

294. “It’s better to be trusted than to be liked.”

— Stephen R. Covey

295. “You can’t be successful with other people if you haven’t paid the price of success with yourself.”

— Stephen R. Covey

296. “Effective leadership is the only competitive advantage that will endure. That’s because leadership has two sides- what a person is character and what a person does- competence.”

— Stephen R. Covey

297. “Values determine behavior; Principles determine the consequences of behavior.”

— Stephen R. Covey

298. “The key to the ability to change is a changeless sense of who you are, what you are about and what you value.”

— Stephen R. Covey

299. “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our happiness.”

— Stephen R. Covey

300. “See every problem as an opportunity to exercise creative energy.”

— Stephen R. Covey