Covey wasn't finished. He was working on a new project (likely several?), and had other writings that hadn't been widely published. This book is a collection of some of those earlier essays. They are valuable, but don't compare in the depth and thoughtful presentation seen in his most well known works. The principles ring true, but they didn't capture me the way the 7 Habits did. For me, the most useful reminder is how living on principle is liberating because doing so creates a framework from which to make decisions. ( )

The executive summary was assigned for this month's management seminar, so...I try to read the full book when possible, even if the seminar facilitator only gives me three days warning. Fortunately, this is short, and fortunately, it's Stephen Covey, which means little (okay, no) deep thinking necessary.

The Army has seven core values (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless service, Honor, Integrity, Personal courage), while the Navy has three (Honor, Courage, Commitment), and the lesson I take from that is that fewer means more. Twelve levers is a lot, and to be sure, some are a reach. Covey's position that these twelve (Integrity, Contribution, Priority, Sacrifice, Service, Responsibility, Loyalty, Reciprocity, Diversity, Learning, Renewal, Teaching) are inalienable principles is untenable, particularly as he presents a false dichotomy of choices for pretty much every explanation (ex. things we put first in life should be last). That is not to say that there is no value in examining these levers, but they are not the end all be all. Worse, as has been my assessment of other Covey (and similar authors) writings, he seems to think that values are not relative. (Fans might argue the contrary, but read his anecdotes - apart from trivial and contrived, they expose his western bias.)

Still, no book not written by Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, or Robert Anton Wilson is valueless, and the takeaways from this collection of essays is that the twelve characteristics should be self-examined frequently. And adjustments made ... as the situation dictates. ( )