Ode to a Guru

By early 1997, I had spent just under two years in the corporate sector, but these were enough to kindle in me several questions about whether this was really the ladder I wished to climb. A personal situation back home (in Patna) also catalyzed the existential questions, which were by now churning furiously in my 26-year old being. It was in these times that a friend recommended Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to me. Though I'd always been fond of reading, and had a decent collection of books by them, the self-help kinds did not find a place in my library. So I took up 7 Habits reluctantly to begin with, but within a few pages, was marveling at the resonance I found with what I was going through.


The book helped me enormously during that fragile phase of life. I read and re-read the book, reflected upon it for hours, discussed the ideas contained in it with a few friends. This was a phase of intense introspection for me. Covey's book helped me tide over this phase - and bring some clarity into my soul. For the next few years, I kept going back to the book - often referring to it as my personal Bible. The beauty of the book was not just in what it contained, but in the way it had been written. The amazing simplicity with which Covey manages to convey such blockbuster ideas as "the Circle of Concern vs. Circle of Influence" is seldom found in management books.

Though written in the pre-internet era (first published in 1989), the ideas in the book are as relevant today (perhaps more) as they were then. Over the years, I've referred the book to a large number of people, particularly to youngsters in their early 20's who are so often unsure of how to wade through the maze of life. Following Covey's advice can certainly help them make sense of it all, as it did for me.


Stephen Covey, RIP.