covey-seven-habits

Read [runtime](../../content/RUNTIME.md) and [advisory rules](../../content/policies/advisory.md) before applying this skill. Other Foreman layers and the catalog are in `../../content/`, relative to this SKILL.md. # Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People The self-help industry generates roughly $14 billion annually in the United States alone, and the vast majority of that output is forgettable within months of publication. Stephen Covey's *The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People*, published in 1989, is the notable exception -- over 40 million copies sold, translated into 40 languages, and still assigned in MBA programs three decades later. The book's durability is not a marketing phenomenon; it reflects a genuine intellectual contribution. Covey drew a sharp distinction between what he called the "personality ethic" (techniques, shortcuts, positive mental attitude) and the "character ethic" (principles, integrity, deep competence). His argument -- that lasting effectiveness flows from character, not charisma -- was unfashionable when published and remains countercultural in a business environment that rewards performative confidence. For entrepreneurs, who must build trust with investors, employees, customers, and partners simultaneously, the character ethic is not optional. --- ## The Framework Covey organizes the seven habits along a maturity continuum: from dependence (others take care of me) through independence (I take care of myself) to interdependen...