The Leader in Me process is based on Stephen Covey’s bestselling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey's recent book, The Leader in Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World are Inspiring Greatness, One Child at a Time, chronicles the process - how extraordinary elementary schools are teaching the same 7 Habits leadership principles which have guided corporate and government boardroom decisions for years.

“The world has entered an era of the most profound and challenging change in human history,” said Stephen Covey. “Studies have identified a significant ‘skills gap’ between what students are currently being taught and the skills employers are seeking in today’s global economy. Our children must be better prepared than they are now to meet the future challenges of our ever-changing world.”

The Leader in Me

The Leader in Me began as a pilot program in 1999 at A.B. Combs Elementary in Raleigh, North Carolina. Principal Muriel Summers, the teachers, staff and students were the first to incorporate the 7 Habits and other leadership skills into their curriculum in unique and creative ways. They experienced remarkable, sustainable results and inspired other schools worldwide to adopt the same approach.

The Leader in Me integrates the principles of personal leadership and effectiveness in everyday, age-appropriate, language into the core subjects and curriculum of an elementary school. It creates a common language and culture within the school built on proven principle-based leadership skills found in the 7 Habits:

• Habit 1: Be Proactive - You're in Charge
• Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind – Have a Plan
• Habit 3: Put First Things First – Work First, Then Play
• Habit 4: Think Win-Win – Everyone Can Win
• Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood – Listen Before You Talk
• Habit 6: Synergize – Together Is Better
• Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw – Balance Feels Best

The Process

The Leader in Me process is a holistic school-wide experience for elementary school teachers and students and is implemented as follows:

• The staff (teachers) identifies a vision of the outcomes they want for their school.
• Teachers learn the 7 Habits and then act as role-model leaders.
• Teachers are taught how to teach the 7 Habits to the students. Parents also support their children in the process.
• The school’s teachers, students and parents utilize a number of tools (student activity guides, teacher editions, posters, books and www.TheLeaderinMe.org) to help them implement and reinforce the process year after year.