Empathy is a critical skill for both personal and professional relationships. It is a key quality to demonstrate emotional intelligence and is a foundational skill used for Habits 5 and 6.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. Listen to people empathically and then ask to be heard. *

"Next to human survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival—to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated."

  --Stephen R. Covey

Check out this article and a short video from the Mind Tools Content Team, Empathy at Work, where they discuss empathy, the different types of empathy, and tips for developing empathy.

*Covey, Stephen R. "Habit Five - Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood." The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; Snapshot Edition, Mango Media. 

Habit 6: Synergize. Value and celebrate differences so that you can achieve more than you ever could have alone.**

"Insecure people have a need to mold them into their own thinking. They don't realize that the very strength of the relationship is in having another point of view. Sameness is uncreative—and boring."

  --Stephen R. Covey

Stretching yourself to learn and grow from others with different viewpoints is a hallmark of a growth mindset. Check out the 'Learn from Differences' activity in Chapter Six of The 7 Habits on the Go: Timeless Wisdom for a Rapidly Changing World. In this exercise, Sean Covey provides you with a framework to follow for evaluating opportunities for learning and growth. 

** Covey, Stephen R. "Habit Six - Synergize." The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; Snapshot Edition, Mango Media.