Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (6)

Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is one of those books everyone’s heard of, many people own, and far fewer have truly applied. That’s a shame—because beneath the big ideas is a very practical framework for working better, leading better, and living with less friction.

1/21/20261 min read

6. Synergize:

Using Individual Differences Instead of Fighting Them

Synergy is what happens when different strengths combine to create a better result than any individual could produce alone.

In practice, this means:

  • Valuing a disagreement as information, not as a threat

  • Designing teams for complementary skills

  • Letting go of the need to be the smartest person in the room

Effective people don’t just tolerate differences—they design around them.

Covey's 6th habit - designing teams for complementary skills
Covey's 6th habit - designing teams for complementary skills