Alex Pattakos, Ph.D., is a principal of The Innovation Group (www.seedsofinnovation.com) and the founder of the Center for Meaning, both based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.nbsp; He has been a full-time professor of business and public administration (including serving as a graduate program head) and has served as an advisor to executives in both corporations and governments internationally on issues relating to innovation management, policy analysis, and organizational redesign.nbsp; He is a former therapist and mental health administrator and has worked closely with several Presidential administrations on social policy matters and served as an adviser to the Commissioner of the U.S. Food… and Drug Administration. The World Future Society credits him as the inventor of the concept of the "Electronic Visiting Professor" for his pioneering work in on-line, distance learning.
Stephen R. Covey was born on October 24, 1932, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He married Sandra Merrill and had nine children. Covey received a B.A. from University of Utah, an M.B.A. from Harvard, and a D.R.E. from Brigham Young University. He was a teacher and administrator at BYU. Covey founded Covey Leadership Center in 1983 and has published a periodical, Executive Excellence. Covey authors books and articles on leadership, personal and organizational effectiveness, and family and interpersonal relationships. He promotes individual awareness, self-control, discipline, and a sense of purpose in seeking a balanced life. He recommends that companies treat employees more holistically to raise… productivity. His works have been widely translated. His best known book is Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989, which has sold several million copies. Other Covey books include: Principle Centered Leadership (1991), First Things First: to Live, to Love, to Learn, and to Leave a Legacy (1994), Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People, First Things First Every Day Because Where You're Headed Is More Important Than How Fast You're Going (1997), The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families, and Seven Habits of Highly Effective Organizations. Covey received the Thomas More College Medallion and the Utah Symphony Fiftieth Anniversary Award in 1990, and the McFeely Award of the International Management Council for contributions and service in 1991.