Sean Covey and his father Stephen R. Covey want both adults and teenagers to be more effective, and they've both written books on the subject.
Stephen R. Covey wrote "7 Habits of Highly Effective People." His son Sean Covey wrote "7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens."Sean Covey decided to write this book because "I feel life is no longer a playground for teenagers." He has been speaking with teenagers for about 15 years, and none seemed to understood his father's book. So he "revised" it to speak teens' language, taking the same habits and making them applicable to teenagers.
Sean Covey's book is in its fifth printing and has sold more than 350,000 copies. It also made the New York Times best-seller list.
"Don't struggle about the struggle," Covey says when asked what he would like to say to teens. "In other words, life's full of ups and downs. So if you're struggling, don't worry, everyone else has or will at some point."
Asked what advice he has about peer pressure, he explained, "Having the courage to say 'no' when all your friends are saying 'yes' is one of the most difficult things you'll ever have to do. Doing it, however, is one of the biggest charges you can ever make to your personal battery.
"I call this 'won't power.' If your personal battery charge is low, your self-confidence and self-respect will be low, and you'll usually give in to the crowd in order to be accepted. If this is the case, begin today to charge yourself, little by little. Make a promise to yourself and keep it.
"Eventually you'll have enough charge to lead your own life and not be dragged around by everyone else."
Covey says teens today have more choices, and their world is more competitive. "The media is a big part of a teenager's life today. When I was a teen, it was maybe a third, or a half of that.
"Growing up in my home was, at times, a big pain, because my dad always made me take responsibility for everything. If I said, 'My new algebra teacher stinks, I'm never going to learn a thing,' Dad would say, 'Why don't you go to your teacher and give him some suggestions? Change teachers. Get a tutor if you have to. If you don't learn algebra, Sean, it's your own fault, not your teacher's.' He never let me off the hook."
Which leads us to parents. Parents seem to be always working. As Covey puts it, "Parents are never home today like they were back then."
Covey's book lists the seven habits:
1. Be proactive. Take responsibility for your actions.
2. Begin with the end in mind, which pretty much explains itself.
3. Put first things first. Set priorities straight and do the important things first.
4. Think win-win. There's plenty of success to go around.
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Listen with your eyes and heart, not just the ears.
6. Synergize. Meet new people. Celebrate differences.
7. Sharpen the saw. Take time out to renew and strengthen your mind, heart, body and soul.
A lot of the stories in the book are stories of Covey's own ups and downs, failures and successes. Covey says that when he was young, he would have read the book because "it's full of cartoons." It's also full of other teenagers' stories, comedy, suggestions and advice.
Covey, the retired teen, was born in Belfast, Ireland. He was raised in Provo and lives there. He has also lived in South Africa, Boston and Dallas. He is now vice president of retail at Franklin Covey Co. He's married to Rebecca Thatcher, and they have four young children.
Covey graduated with honors from BYU with a degree in English and later earned his MBA from Harvard Business school. He was also the starting quarterback for BYU, led his team to two bowl games and was chosen Most Valuable Player by ESPN. Before Franklin Covey, he worked at Deloitte & Touche Management Consulting, Trammell Crow Ventures and the Walt Disney Co.
He has also written "Fourth Down and Life to Go," and he's a popular speaker for youth and adult groups. Covey's favorite pastimes include going to the movies, working out, riding his dirt bike, hanging out with his family, eating (anything in large quantities, he says) and writing poetry.
Renee Pratt is a student at West Jordan High School.