A 7 Habits author Stephen Covey dies at 79

Melbourne - Dr Stephen Covey, the celebrated author of ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’, has died in a hospital in Idaho Falls, on Monday due to complications from a bicycle accident that happened back in April. He was 79.

In a statement sent to employees of a Utah consulting firm Dr Covey co-founded, his family has revealed the details regarding the demise of Dr. Covey, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

“In his final hours, he was surrounded by his loving wife and each one of his children and their spouses, just as he always wanted,” the family said.

The motivational speaker was knocked unconscious in the bike crash on a steep road in the foothills of Provo, Utah, south of Salt Lake City.

He was considered a pioneer in the self-help genre aimed at helping readers become more productive in their lives. The most notable book from the category, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, sold more than 20 million copies in 38 languages.

“This was one of the first books in recent times that was really directed at prioritising the way you worked, so you could be more effective as an individual,” Adrian Zackheim, a publishing executive, said.

“It wasn't about how to be a manager or how or to run a company. It was about how to conduct yourself.”

The author also wrote other best sellers, including First Things First, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, and The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness.

Besides this, Dr. Covey was also the co-founder of Utah-based professional services company ‘FranklinCovey’.

At the time of his bicycle accident, his publicist, Debra Lund, claimed that the doctors had not found any signs of long-term damage.

“He just lost control on his bike and crashed,” she said. “He was wearing a helmet.”

Sean Covey admitted that his father was at a family gathering in Montana when his health began to deteriorate and he was rushed to the closest hospital.

“Our family, all nine kids and our spouses and my mom, were able to gather together again to be with him for the last few hours of his life, which is what he always wanted,” Sean Covey revealed in an email to The Tribune.