The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

Trees are a powerful symbol of Covey’s habits. Just like a tree, the seven habits have deep roots and have the potential for soaring growth. The habits can support us, allowing us to stand tall, no matter how difficult life may be, just as a tree keeps standing tall, no matter the weather. The steady cumulative impact of habits can be symbolized by the accumulation of tree rings as the tree grows each year.

In Chapter 1, Covey provides a drawing of a tree, with roots spreading deep into the soil and leaves reaching high toward the sun, and on this tree, he has written the seven habits (6). The first three habits are written over the tree’s root system, symbolizing how these habits serve as the foundation for the rest of the habits. The massive trunk has “Think Win-Win” on it, showing how the abundant growth that the tree is capable of can symbolize the abundance of the “Win-Win” paradigm. The branches carry the words, “Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood,” symbolizing how the power of listening before speaking can be instrumental in reaching out to people just as a tree’s branches reach toward the sun. “Synergize” is written high in the leaves, symbolizing the heights that creative teamwork can take us to, and “sharpen the saw” seems to float almost above the tree and towards the sun, the source of life, symbolizing the inspiration that nourishes all of us.