1.
Principles
Character ethic is the foundation of success, things like integrity, humility, loyalty, courage, justice,
patience, self-restraint and simplicity.
People can only experience true success and enduring happiness as they learn and integrate these
principles into their basic character.
Personality ethic like communication skills, influence strategies and positive thinking are also
beneficial for success but they are secondary and its effects are all secondary.
2. Paradigms
In our lives family, friends, work environment all have unconscious impact on us and shape are frame
of reference.
The more aware you are of your basic paradigms, assumptions, the more you can take responsibility
for those paradigms, examine them, test them against reality, listen to others and be open to their
perceptions ,there by getting a far more objective view.
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People are:
1. Be proactive
In addition to self awareness, we have imagination, the ability to create our own minds beyond our
present reality.
We have the responsibility to make things happen and not to blame our circumstances, conditions or
conditioning. .
For Proactive people it makes no difference whether it rains or shines. They are value driven to
produce quality work.
Action : Evaluate your language how often do you use reactive phrases if only, I can't ?
[Link] with end in mind
The author started writing this by asking question as to what do you want your relatives, friends
colleagues to say about you when you are dead.
By keeping that clearly in mind you can make certain that whatever you do on any particular day does
not violate the criteria you have defined as supremely important.
People from every walk of life of struggle to achieve higher income, fame only to find that their drive
to achieve their goals blinded them to the things that really mattered most and now are gone.
Action : Prepare your own mission statement.
3. Put first things first
Things which matter the most must never be at mercy of things which matter least.
Ask yourself the question as to what one thing I could do on a regular basis that would bring tremendous
difference in my personal life?
Effective people spend time in doing things of quadrant I and II and most importantly quadrant II which
covers capacity building activities like building relationships, execute other long term planning.
As quadrant II activities like exercising involves working on roots.
Action : Prepare your draft and learn to say no to activities in quadrant III and IV.
4. Think win/Win
Win/win means that agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying and all parties.
Understand there is plenty for everybody and that one persons success is not achieved at the expense
or exclusion of the success of others.
Action : Make your own list of obstacles that stop you from attaining win/win and figure out what can
be done to resolve it.
5. Seek first to understand then to be understood
Before listening to the problems of other people carefully we straight away start giving good advises.
Indulge in empathetic listening, it is fully understanding a person emotionally as well as intellectually.
Action : Next time you find yourself giving response without understanding ,try to turn the situation
and apologize and start listening carefully.
6. Synergize
It means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
We need to learn the principle of creative co-operation which we learn from nature.
The essence of synergy is to value differences, to respect them, to build on strength, to compensate
for weakness.
Action : Become authentic regarding personal experiences and even self doubts the more people can
relate to your expression allowing sharing of ideas leading to synergy creation.
7. Sharpen the saw
Its about preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have that is you.
It's renewing the four dimensions of your nature – Physical, Spiritual , Mental ,and Emotional/Social.
Physical dimensions include caring effectively of your physical body, eating right food, relaxation and
exercising regularly.
Spiritual dimensions is your commitment to your value system.
Mental dimension can be improved by continuing education, continually honing and expanding the
mind, becoming more analytical .
Social/Emotional dimension comes with creative co-operation with other people from helping other
people in meaningful way.
5 Key Takeaways From this book are :
1) Character Ethic is the foundation of success whereas personality ethic is only but a a secondary
trait.
2) Challenge your frame of reference so that you can test it against reality.
3) First Define your Mission Statement.
4) Learn to put first things first that also means start focusing on long term goals although these are
not urgent but they can change your life.
5) Seek first to understand then to be understood that means we must get involved in empathetic
listening.
Summarized By :
JC Junesha Bhatia
