Steven Covey

I was teaching the 7 Habits at a professional gathering last week when I experienced something remarkable. While I spoke about Habit 1, Be Proactive, and some of the principles for being responsible for your own life or carrying your own weather and choosing your own response, a gentleman from the audience stood up. Right before this big audience, this man stood up on his chair and essentially said the following (I’m paraphrasing):

“Last week my wife left me. It was totally unexpected. I have felt a mixture of feelings from being hurt, feeling anger, betrayal and embarrassment. But listening to this today I have decided to not be angry anymore. I am going to choose to be happy and not be hurt or embarrassed any longer.”

I was so taken by this man’s sense of humility and courage, and his desire to be the creative force of his life rather than being victim to his circumstances or his relationship with his wife. I’m sure he was in a lot of turmoil and feeling like the world had crashed down on him. But he gained the self-awareness that he could still choose his response to his devastating personal challenges. He saw that he could act and not feel acted upon.

I commended him for his decision and affirmed that he can choose to let the anger go, to forgive and create his life. This is often a hard thing to do especially in painful situations like his.  The audience applauded him. I applauded him. I had never seen anything like it.

When I think of this man, I don’t know what will happen to him and his wife. But I do know that if he will grasp onto the principle of being proactive and seeing himself as the creative force of his own life with the choices he makes, he will find meaning and fulfillment in his life—he will eventually find peace of conscience.

Can you think of a situation or relationship in your life where you can choose a better, more effective response? Choose it now!

I am pleased to announce that I am now a contributor to the Huffington Post. My first blog appeared on Wednesday, April 21. I chose the topic of education in the U.S. and the opportunities we have to really make a big, positive impact in the way we educate our children.

For far too long, we’ve neglected educating our children to become people who can think for themselves, take responsibility, be tolerant and respectful, and work with others in creative ways. Character development is central to the education process but has been lacking for some time. To fill that need, we need stronger partnerships between schools and parents to unleash the potential of every child—to learn, grow and become leaders of their lives. 

One successful program called The Leader in Me Process has been applied at A.B. Combs Elementary School in Raleigh, North Carolina. At its core is teaching children, starting at kindergarten, habits of leadership. They are learning how to be accountable, treat others with respect, solve problems creatively, listen to understand and be trustworthy. Academic scores have dramatically improved and behavior problems have significantly dropped. The whole school is involved with this process and parents are thrilled to partner with their school to promote leadership principles with their children at school and at home.  

This Leader in Me Process is being applied in over 200 schools worldwide with remarkable, measurable success. To learn more, please see my blog: “Our Children and the Crisis in Education.” 

You may also be interested in reading my book, The Leader in Me—How Schools and Parents Around the World are Inspiring Greatness, One Child at a Time. 

When you are looking for work or trying to advance your career, you need all the help you can get. You will find many answers in my book, Great Work, Great Career, co-authored with Jennifer Colosimo. For example, how can you become indispensable at work or how can you stand out from the hundreds of job applicants? What unique contribution can you make based on your talents, experiences and skills? What is an effective resume? Knowing how to create the right opportunities is key to creating a great career and finding lasting success. 

On April 13, FranklinCovey is offering you our Great Career iPhone app for only $2.99. This is a great tool for taking charge of your career. You might want to check it out to see if it’s right for you. Go to: http://bit.ly/aLlL7f

 I hope you will find yourself in a job you love, where you can make a difference and find meaningful purpose.  

March 15, 2010 marked the 25th anniversary of the first “dot-com” registration on the Internet.  With over 100 million domain registrations and counting, we’ve witnessed an explosion of communication, commerce, idea-sharing, and human connectivity unlike anything else in human history. This truly marks a revolutionary and transformational shift in the way we live, gather information, do commerce, and connect with each other. No domain is unaffected. From societies, governments, communities, businesses to individuals and families, we have all been profoundly impacted by the massive migration to the Internet. 

The impact on societies across the globe cannot be understated as the Internet has provided a democratization tool for people to access information in real time across all boundaries. Still, there are some countries battling the policy of free access to the Internet as evidenced recently by China’s confrontation with Google. However, people find a way to get what they thirst for and eventually get around firewalls in ingenious ways.  

Who can forget the Twitter-revolution in Iran last year as thousands and thousands of Iranians took to the streets to give voice to their aspirations for legitimacy in their election outcomes? The human voice is deep and relentless. It cannot be suppressed. Our new Internet technology literally gives voice to countless people of all ages, ethnicities, race, gender, religions, political persuasions, rich or poor.  People who were previously disenfranchised are now empowered and equipped to express their voice! 

Recently, with the cataclysmic disaster in Haiti, donations poured instantly as people used their social networks and texting to pour their generous funds to the people of Haiti. It’s never been easier to click your way to making an instant impact in the lives of people in one’s own neighborhood or to far away neighbors across the globe.  

What Do You Predict for the Future of the Internet?

At the 25th Anniversay of .Com Policy Impact Forum in Washington DC on March 16, many prominent leaders from different fields discussed the impact of the dot-com sensation. These leaders shared their excitement along with their concerns for a free-wielding Internet/ technology. They looked through their “crystal ball” to predict what the future would hold with this powerful but challenging medium.  

So what are your thoughts? What do you predict is the future of the Internet? Are you better off today being connected 24/7? Are you feeling overwhelmed or do you feel more in charge of your life? Has your productivity increased or decreased? How do you discern the credibility or truth behind all the countless messages, ideas or agendas online? How are you using the Internet to find solutions to your pressing problems? How has the Internet brought you new opportunities or brought you closer to your family, friends, or loved ones? 

I encourage you to ask yourself: Where do I need to connect more? Where do I need to simply disconnect to gain better balance and control in my life? I know my grandchildren are already natives to the Internet. I am not. They face many great opportunities if they choose to anchor themselves on guiding principles that will help them determine what is good and what is not, and what is simply distracting or negative on the Internet. Without that anchor they are at risk of being enslaved by forces that will pull them in conflicting directions, leaving them without a principle-centered compass to help them take charge of their own lives.  

This is an exciting time with great opportunities for good. I look forward to the future and the promise of people all around the world and their desire for greatness. The Internet can be a powerful tool to fulfill that greatness!