Stephen M.R. Covey

About Stephen M.R. Covey

Stephen M. R. Covey is co-founder and CEO of CoveyLink Worldwide. A highly sought-after and engaging keynote speaker and advisor in the fields of trust, leadership, ethics, and high performance, he speaks to audiences around the world. He is the author of ‘The Speed of Trust’, a groundbreaking and paradigm-shifting book that challenges our age-old assumption that trust is merely a soft, social virtue and instead demonstrates that trust is a hard, economic driver — a learnable and measurable skill that makes organizations more profitable, people more promotable, and relationships more energizing. He advocates that nothing is as fast as the speed of trust and that the ability to build, grow, extend, and restore trust with all stakeholders is the critical leadership competency of the new world economy. Covey passionately conveys that message and is dedicated to enabling individuals and organizations to reap the benefits of high trust. Audiences and organizations resonate with his informed, practical approach to current issues that affect their immediate and long-term performance.

He is the former CEO of Covey Leadership Center, which under his leadership became the largest leadership development company in the world. Covey personally led the strategy that brought his father Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, to be one of the two most influential business books of the 20th century, according to CEO Magazine. With an MBA from Harvard, he joined Covey Leadership Center as Client Developer and later became National Sales Manager and then President & CEO. Under Covey’s leadership, the company grew rapidly and profitably, achieving Inc. 500 status. As President & CEO, he nearly doubled revenue to over $110 million while increasing profits twelvefold. During that time, both customer and employee trust reached new heights, and the company expanded globally to over 40 countries. This significantly increased the brand and company value. The company was worth only $2.4 million when Covey became CEO, and within three years, he increased shareholder value to $160 million in a merger he orchestrated with then Franklin Quest to form FranklinCovey.

Over the years, Covey has gained significant respect and influence with executives and leaders of Fortune 500 companies, as well as with medium and small private and public organizations he has advised. Clients recognize his unique perspective on real organizational issues based on his practical experience as a former CEO.

Covey currently serves on the board/advisory board of several entities, including the Human Performance Institute—the leader in energy management technology—where he serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board.

Covey lives with his wife and children in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

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