Stephen Covey, one of America's most prominent self-help gurus, owes much to Dale Carnegie, whose best-selling book, How To Win Friends and Influence People, and its corresponding public speaking course are models upon which Covey built his success. The first of numerous books written by Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, was published in 1989 and helped his rise to the position of unofficial consultant to the leaders of corporate America, and guru to those in the lower levels of corporate management. His company, the Covey Leadership Center, founded in 1983, subsequently capitalized on the success of 7 Habits, which became a catch phrase for any number of simplistic and appealing ideas dealing with personal happiness and efficiency in the workplace.

Covey was born into a Mormon family in Provo, Utah. During the 1950s he completed a bachelor's degree in business administration at the University of...