Senator Mike Lee made the following comments regarding the passing of best-selling author Stephen Covey:
“Today, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Stephen Covey, who passed away this morning at age 79 in Idaho Falls. He was loved and respected by many and will most certainly be missed,” said Lee.
“He was an inspiration to millions, a revolutionary problem solver, and an icon for business managers everywhere.  It is impossible to calculate the immense amount of good that Stephen Covey did for so many people. His insight helped to shape the future of an untold number of businesses, resulting in better jobs and indeed better lives for people around the world.”
Covey was most well known for his 1989 book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He would go on to publish a series of books related to the “seven habits” theme, and sold more than 20 million copies in total. In 1996, Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential Americans, and in 2011, Time magazine listed Seven Habits as one of the 25 most influential business management books. 2011 also saw Covey named as one of Thinkers50’s top 50 business leaders in the world.
Covey earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Utah, an MBA from Harvard, and a doctorate in religious education from BYU. He applied his business acumen to a long list of companies and government agencies, including Saturn, Proctor & Gamble, NASA, and the American Cancer society.
Covey also founded the Covey Leadership Center, based in Orem, Utah. The center expanded to 40 offices worldwide, and sold books, videos, tapes, conferences, and training to countless businesses before merging with Franklin Quest to become FranklinCovey.