Stephen Covey – Coach? Leader?

By Vikki Brock

September 12th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under

Stephen Covey (1932- ) wrote the 1989 best-selling book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which presented a self-coaching approach as a progression from self-awareness to abundance mentality to self-renewal. The seven habits include:

  1. Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Choice
  2. Begin with the End in Mind: Principles of Personal Vision
  3. Put First Things First: Principles of Integrity & Execution
  4. Think Win/Win: Principles of Mutual Benefit
  5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: Principles of Mutual Understanding
  6. Synergize: Principles of Creative Cooperation
  7. Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal

Mike Jay, executive and business coach, reflected in June 2006 that “I don’t think many people called Covey a coach, but if you go back and look at principle-centered leadership, when he talks about how to create win-win agreements, which we call performance agreements . . . that’s probably part of the first formal system that I could place in my performance coaching framework.”

In 2004 Covey wrote The 8th Habit which talked about finding your voice and inspiring others to find theirs, which is the tenet of coaching.

Vikki G. Brock, Ph.D., EMBA, MCC
Director, History & Archives Division

About the Author

Dr. Vikki Brock, MCC, is Team Lead for the one-of-a-kind Virtual Museum of Coaching here at The Coaching Commons. Based on interviews about the evolution of coaching with over 175 coaching 'influencers' she also contributes mightily to our Coaching Hall of Fame. Though some may consider 'The History of Coaching' a dry topic, Vikki believes 'the roots determine the fruits' and promises the museum won't be a stuffy place. Vikki is also the only executive and leadership coach we know who supports clients from a 50 foot sailboat named Cuidado, moored in Ventura, California next to the Channel Islands National Park.

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There Are 2 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by Vikki G. Brock on 15 September 2008:

    Hi Leonardo,

    I agree with you about Covey being a thinker of personal development. While he is not necessarily knowledgeable or a practitioner of coaching, his writings have influenced the field of coaching by influencing practitioners and leaders, as well as others. Thanks for your comment, Vikki

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  3. Comment by Leonardo Ravier on 14 September 2008:

    I think the second book you mention (the 8th Habit) is considerably higher than the first, and comes very close to the essential theory of coaching. There is no doubt that Covey states, in the 8th habit, essential theoretical aspects that justify or base the coaching profession (argumentation, logical deduction, reasoning, exemplification, etc.). However, we must not confuse this theory or coaching approach with the own exercise of the profession.

    In other words, Covey was able to describe self-evident and essential principles of the own process of personal development , but never explained or describes a type of process, based on dialogue, where such development is achieved.

    Therefore, based on the evidence of his writings, I think Covey is a great thinker of personal development, but not necessarily knowledgeable or practitioner of the coaching as a catalyst.

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