The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness

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The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness is a book written by Stephen R. Covey, published in 2004 with original ISBN 0-684-84665-9. It is a sequel to The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989.

The 8th Habit
Author Stephen R. Covey
Subject(s) Self help
Publisher Free Press
Publication date 2004
ISBN 0743287932
29 Nov 2005 reprint
Preceded by The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

The eighth habit is to "Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs". Some versions of the book come with a DVD, although all the short films on this DVD can be viewed via Covey's website. The book is divided into two sections, with the first few chapters focusing on finding your voice, whilst the latter chapters are about inspiring others to find their voice. Most of the chapters in the book include a section discussing one of the 'stories' from the DVD, which are intended to illustrate the theme of the chapter (for example the story of Helen Keller and another about the Berlin Wall).

The book talks of "6 Cancers" that inhibit people's greatness:

  • Cynicism
  • Criticism
  • Comparing
  • Competing
  • Complaining
  • Contending