Primary Greatness: The 12 Levers of Success

From Stephen R. Covey—the late, legendary author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People—a new set of rules for achieving a happy and fulfilling life of primary greatness.

Many of us are hurting. We have chronic problems, dissatisfactions, and disappointments. Although we generally make it through the day, a lot of us feel overwhelmed by burdens we carry. We try to “lift the load of life” each day and sometimes it’s just too much. The idea of living a “great life” seems a distant dream.

Too often, however, we have the wrong idea of what a great life is. We think if only we had enough money, enough free time, enough good looks or popularity, everything would be great. If that’s what makes for a great life, no wonder so many of us feel so weighed down by the demands of everyday living.

Stephen R. Covey believed there were only two ways to live: a life of primary greatness or a life of secondary greatness. Through his classic books and seminars, he taught that the intrinsic rewards of primary greatness—integrity, responsibility, and meaningful contribution—far outweighed the superficial rewards of secondary greatness—money, popularity, and the self-absorbed, pleasure-ridden life that some people consider “success.”

Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s teachings are beloved and have inspired countless listeners and leaders.Primary Greatness once again delivers classic Covey wisdom in a compact and digestible form. In this posthumous work, Covey lays out clearly the 12 levers of success that will lead to a life of primary greatness: Integrity, Contribution, Priority, Sacrifice, Service, Responsibility, Loyalty, Reciprocity, Diversity, Learning, Teaching, and Renewal. For the first time, Covey defines each of these twelve qualities and how they provide the leverage to make your daily life truly “great.”

Recognized as one of Time magazine's twenty-five most influential Americans, Stephen R. Covey (1932-2012) was an internationally respected leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational consultant, and author. His books have sold more than twenty-five million copies in thirty-eight languages, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was named the #1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century. After receiving an MBA from Harvard and a doctorate degree from Brigham Young University, he became the cofounder and vice chairman of FranklinCovey, a leading global training firm.

Sean Covey is Executive Vice President of Global Solutions and Partnerships for FranklinCovey. He is a New York Times bestselling author and has written several books, including The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, The 4 Disciplines of Execution, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, which has been translated into twenty languages and sold over five million copies worldwide.