Motivational author, speaker Covey dies

Motivational speaker and author Stephen Covey, whose "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" sold millions of copies, died Monday in an Idaho hospital. He was 79. Covey's family said in a statement he died at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls from residual effects of a bicycle accident he had in April, CNN 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 statement said. "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People" has been called one of the most influential management books by several organizations. Other best-sellers by Covey include "First Things First," "Principle-Centered Leadership," and "The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness." Covey earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Utah, a master's in business administration from Harvard and a doctorate from Brigham Young University, his biography said. He also received several honorary doctorate degrees. He founded Covey Leadership Center, which merged with Franklin Quest in 1997 to create FranklinCovey Co., a global consulting and leadership training firm. Covey and his wife, Sandra, lived in Provo, Utah, his biography on Wikipedia.org said. A father of nine and a grandfather of 52, he received the Fatherhood Award from the National Fatherhood Initiative in 2003.