If it was up to me, I’d make this book a required reading for every high school student. If you have aspiration to lead others, or just lead yourself, or you simply have aspirations to invest in yourself and become a more decent human, this book IMHO is a must.
The habits themselves are:
- Be Proactive
- Begin with the End in Mind
- Put First Things First
- Think Win-Win
- Seek to Understand Before Seeking to be Understood
- Synergize
- Sharpen the Saw
These habits can be grouped together into a several themes. The first 3 are foundational principles which in the book are focused on leading yourself, although the framework itself is easily applicable to groups and organizations as well.
Next 3 are focused on how to effectively work with people around you.
The last habit, Sharpen the Saw, is its own category. It highlights the importance of taking the time to step back and do meta-work. In other words, rather than focusing on work, life and whatever else is going on, go up a level of abstraction and work on how you approach work, life and whatever else is going on.