Profiles in Successful MBAs: Stephen R. Covey

If you've ever perused the self-help section at your local bookstore, you've probably heard of Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. As cofounder of FranklinCovey, one of the world's leading management consulting firms, Covey embodies all you can accomplish with the right business education.

A Sound Education

Like so many entrepreneurs striking it rich in management consulting, Dr. Stephen Covey built his career on a sound education. After earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Utah, Covey earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, and later taught business management at Brigham Young University. In 1997, Covey became cofounder and vice chairman of FranklinCovey.

In Business to Remake Business

FranklinCovey is a management-consulting firm. These are businesses that evaluate other professional organizations in order to help them run more smoothly. Covey's company--and philosophy--focuses on optimizing organizational effectiveness through better communication, sound management, and principled leadership.

Following the Leader

Despite Dr. Covey's example, you don't need a Harvard degree to work at in management consulting. Although most firms prefer applicants with an MBA, a bachelor's degree may earn you an entry-level position. Since there are numerous specialty careers within the field, you can make a strong impression on prospective employers with an MBA or bachelor's degree in:

• Accounting
• Management
• Marketing
• Economics

If you want to advance your education while working full time, you can earn an online degree in business, pursuing a bachelors or MBA at your own pace, from the comfort of your own home.

What Are You Waiting For?

If you've ever wanted to help build new businesses (or rebuild struggling ones), opportunities abound for management consultants. Experts predict employment in the field to increase faster than the average for all jobs between now and 2004. Competition and rewards are high, with median annual wage and salary earnings for management analysts at $64,450 in 2004. So what are you waiting for? As the good Doctor Covey said, "The Call and need of a new era is for fulfillment....for significant contribution and greatness."

Sources

"About Dr. Covey," Stephen Covey
"Management Analysts," U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

About the Author

Christian Cacibauda is a freelance writer and editor based in northern Nevada. He holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Nevada, Reno.