Humility is the mother of all virtues, courage the father, integrity the child and wisdom the grandchild.

Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

People and their managers are working so hard to be sure things are done right, that they have hardly have time to decide if they are doing the right things.

Above all, success in business requires two things: a winning competitive strategy, and superb organizational execution. Distrust is the enemy of both. I submit that while high trust won't necessarily rescue a poor strategy, low trust will almost always derail a good one.

Integrity is conforming reality to our words - in other words, keeping promises and fulfilling expectations.

Habit 7 is taking the time to sharpen the saw. By renewing the four dimensions of your nature - physical, spiritual, mental and social/emotional, you can work more quickly and effortlessly. To do this, we must be proactive. This is a Quadrant II (important, not urgent) activity that must be acted on. It's at the center of our Circle of Influence, so we must do it for ourselves.

To ignore the unexpected (even if it were possible) would be to live without opportunity, spontaneity, and the rich moments of which "life" is made.