The higher up the corporate ladder an executive climbs, the more important it becomes for that individual to operate effectively and to do so reliably. Organizational effectiveness involves more than the sum of the effectiveness of individuals, but must be built on top of this foundation. Self-improvement books have been an American tradition for decades, but one of the most popular and enduring is Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989). Covey positions his principles-based approach as the "fourth generation" of time (or life) management and clearly shows that it coheres comfortably and supportively with the demands of a life in business.