FranklinCovey

FranklinCovey is a Salt Lake City–based professional-services company that provides leadership development, organizational performance, business-execution, sales-performance, and individual-effectiveness training. The company serves organizations and individuals through consulting, facilitated workshops, coaching, assessments, learning subscriptions, digital and live-online instruction, and licensed educational programs. The business was created on May 30, 1997, through the merger of Hyrum W. Smith's Franklin Quest and Stephen R. Covey's Covey Leadership Center. The combination brought together two complementary offerings: the Franklin planning system, which drew partly on Benjamin Franklin's writings and time-management practices, and Covey's leadership framework, especially the ideas later popularized in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The companies announced the proposed merger and public offering in January 1997, describing the transaction as a way to combine planning tools, training, intellectual property, and distribution. Following the merger, FranklinCovey operated a substantial retail network and expanded its product assortment to include planners, books, software, personal-organization products, and related devices. It also developed an international presence through company operations, stores, and licensees. The retail and paper-products model later proved difficult to sustain. The company closed its large retail-store chain and divested its products division by 2005, subsequently redefining itself as a performance-improvement company centered on training and consulting rather than direct retailing. A further strategic shift occurred under CEO Bob Whitman, who redirected the company toward in-person and live-online training and away from the paper-planner business. The planner and organizational-products operation was spun off as FC Organizational Products, which remained the authorized licensee for FranklinCovey-branded paper planning products. FranklinCovey retained a relationship with that business and continued to maintain a retail presence at its Salt Lake City corporate campus. The company's best-known intellectual-property platforms include The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The 4 Disciplines of Execution, and Leading at the Speed of Trust. These offerings are used in leadership, culture, execution, trust, productivity, and team-effectiveness programs. FranklinCovey also develops solutions around books and frameworks produced by its consultants and external thought leaders. In education, its Leader in Me program applies Covey-inspired principles to whole-school transformation. The program is used by schools in the United States and in a range of international markets, including Guatemala, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Qatar, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom. Research cited in connection with the program has reported improvements in students' perceptions of teacher relationships and reductions in discipline problems at participating schools, although the program's effects depend on implementation and local context. FranklinCovey remains an active publicly traded training and consulting business. Its sales channels reach more than 120 countries, combining direct sales, local operations, partners, and licensees. Its current identity is primarily that of a global provider of leadership and organizational-performance solutions rather than a planner retailer, although the Franklin planning heritage continues through licensed products.

FranklinCovey traces its origins to two businesses founded around different but related ideas about personal effectiveness. Franklin Quest, led by Hyrum W. Smith, developed and sold the Franklin planning system. The system combined paper planning, prioritization, values clarification, and time-management practices, with some of its conceptual heritage associated with Benjamin Franklin. Separately, Stephen R. Covey's Covey Leadership Center built a training and publishing business around Covey's leadership principles and research into personal and organizational effectiveness. The two companies operated independently until January 22, 1997, when they announced a proposed merger and public offering. The transaction was completed on May 30, 1997, creating Franklin Covey Co., later generally branded FranklinCovey. Management expected the combined company to benefit from the relationship between the Franklin Planner system, Covey's leadership content, and a shared training and distribution platform. The merger joined a consumer-oriented planning business with a rapidly recognized leadership-development franchise, particularly Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The early post-merger company had a large retail footprint. It operated 117 stores in 37 U.S. states and maintained an international presence through stores in Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong. The stores were rebranded as Franklin Covey 7 Habits Stores and received a substantially expanded product assortment, including books, software, planners, and personal-organization devices. FranklinCovey also held naming rights to a minor-league baseball stadium in Salt Lake City from 1994 through 2009; the venue was subsequently renamed Smith's Ballpark. The merger did not produce the expected financial-market performance. The company's share price fell sharply after the combination, reaching less than one dollar by early 2003 according to historical accounts. Business coverage criticized the post-merger organization for bureaucracy, weak planning, and internal disagreements. These difficulties contributed to a reassessment of the company's retail-heavy structure and the economics of selling paper products through a large store network. By 2005, FranklinCovey had closed its chain of approximately 185 retail stores and exited its products division. It repositioned itself as a performance-improvement company, with employees and operations in the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, and Japan and licensee relationships in more than 130 countries. The company increasingly concentrated on enterprise training, consulting, and implementation rather than direct-to-consumer retail. A significant strategic redirection took place under CEO Bob Whitman beginning in 2008. FranklinCovey sold or separated its paper-planner business and emphasized in-person workshops, live-online instruction, leadership development, business execution, sales performance, and individual effectiveness. The separated paper-products operation became FC Organizational Products and retained authorization to produce FranklinCovey-branded planners. This arrangement allowed the brand's planning heritage to continue while the public company focused more heavily on professional services. The company's service portfolio has continued to be organized around repeatable intellectual-property platforms. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People remains its foundational leadership and personal-effectiveness program. The 4 Disciplines of Execution addresses goal execution and accountability, while Leading at the Speed of Trust focuses on trust as a factor in organizational effectiveness. FranklinCovey has also connected many offerings to books written by its consultants or by other business and leadership authors. Education became another important application area through Leader in Me, described as a whole-school transformation process based on Covey's principles. By 2024, the program had a presence in schools throughout the United States and in countries including Guatemala, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Qatar, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom. Research cited by the company and referenced in public descriptions has reported more favorable student views of teachers and fewer discipline problems in participating schools. FranklinCovey is now primarily a global learning and consulting provider. Its distribution model combines direct corporate sales, international operations, digital delivery, facilitators, partners, and licensees. The business retains links to its original planning products but is chiefly identified with leadership training, organizational change, execution systems, trust, productivity, and school transformation. It remains publicly traded under the ticker FC.

• 2024

  Leader in Me reported across global school markets

  [1]FranklinCoveyen.wikipedia.org

  The Leader in Me program was reported in schools across the United States and a broad group of international countries.

• 2023

  Fiscal-year revenue reaches $280.5 million

  [1]FranklinCoveyen.wikipedia.org

  FranklinCovey reported $280.5 million in revenue for fiscal 2023.

• 2009

  Stadium naming ends

  [1]FranklinCoveyen.wikipedia.org

  The Salt Lake City minor-league stadium formerly called Franklin Covey Field was renamed Smith's Ballpark.

• 2008

  Strategic shift to training and consulting

  [1]FranklinCoveyen.wikipedia.org

  The company emphasized facilitated and live-online training and separated its paper-planner business into FC Organizational Products.

• 2005

  Retail and products retrenchment

  [1]FranklinCoveyen.wikipedia.org

  FranklinCovey closed its large retail-store chain and exited its products division as it refocused on performance-improvement services.

• 1998

  Hyrum W. Smith joins U.S. Chamber of Commerce board

  [1]FranklinCoveyen.wikipedia.org

  FranklinCovey chairman Hyrum W. Smith was appointed to a two-year term on the board of directors of the United States Chamber of Commerce.

• 1997

  Merger of Franklin Quest and Covey Leadership Center

  [1]FranklinCoveyen.wikipedia.org

  The two companies merged on May 30, creating Franklin Covey Co. and combining the Franklin planning system with Covey leadership training.

• 1994

  FranklinCovey receives stadium naming rights

  [1]FranklinCoveyen.wikipedia.org

  The company began holding naming rights to a minor-league baseball stadium in Salt Lake City, later known as Franklin Covey Field.

A premium, research- and framework-led provider of leadership development and organizational-performance solutions, positioned between management consulting, corporate training, executive coaching, and structured learning programs.

• Leadership and personal effectiveness

  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

  FranklinCovey's best-known leadership and effectiveness platform, based on Stephen R. Covey's framework for principles-centered personal behavior, interpersonal relationships, and organizational leadership. It is delivered through workshops, digital learning, coaching, assessments, and related books and materials. The program is designed to help participants clarify priorities, build productive relationships, improve collaboration, and translate personal habits into consistent organizational practices.

• Business execution

  The 4 Disciplines of Execution

  An execution methodology focused on translating strategic goals into a limited set of priorities, measurable lead and lag indicators, visible scoreboards, and regular accountability sessions. FranklinCovey presents the framework as a way for teams to maintain progress on important objectives while continuing to handle routine operational demands.

• Leadership and organizational culture

  Leading at the Speed of Trust

  A leadership and culture offering that treats trust as a practical driver of organizational speed, collaboration, credibility, and performance. Programs built around the framework address personal credibility, relationship-building, communication, and institutional practices intended to strengthen trust within teams and across organizations.

• Education

  Leader in Me

  A whole-school transformation model that applies Covey-inspired principles to school culture, student agency, leadership development, relationships, and instructional environments. Schools typically implement the model through staff development, leadership practices, student participation, and structured curricula. The program operates in the United States and multiple international markets.

• Planning and productivity products

  FranklinCovey planning system

  The planning system is the brand's original productivity product family, combining calendars, task management, prioritization, values clarification, and goal-setting. After FranklinCovey separated its paper-products business, FC Organizational Products became the authorized licensee responsible for continuing paper planning products based on the system.

• 2000Leader in Me school transformation

  United States · International markets

  FranklinCovey adapted its leadership and effectiveness principles for schools through the Leader in Me whole-school transformation model.

  Outcome. The program expanded to schools in the United States and numerous countries across several regions.

  Source
• 1997Franklin Covey 7 Habits Stores

  United States · Canada · Mexico · Hong Kong

  Following the merger, FranklinCovey renamed and redesigned its retail stores around the combined planning and leadership proposition, adding books, software, devices, and other products to the assortment.

  Outcome. The retail strategy was later discontinued; the company closed its store chain by 2005.

  Source
• 1997FranklinCovey international licensing and distribution

  Global

  The merged company expanded its international reach through company channels, stores, and licensees, eventually serving more than 120 countries.

  Outcome. International partners and licensees became an enduring part of the company's distribution model.

  Source

• 2008

  Prioritize live training and professional servicesStrategy

  Background

  FranklinCovey sought to move beyond its legacy paper-planner and retail identity and emphasize higher-value organizational training and implementation.

  Action taken

  Under Bob Whitman, the company shifted toward in-person and live-online training and separated the paper-planner operation into FC Organizational Products.

  Aftermath

  FranklinCovey's public-company identity became centered on leadership, execution, sales performance, and individual-effectiveness services, while licensed paper products continued separately.

  Source

• 2005

  Exit large-scale retailingStrategy

  Background

  The company reassessed the economics and complexity of operating a large store network and selling paper-based organizational products.

  Action taken

  FranklinCovey closed its retail chain and products division and repositioned itself as a performance-improvement company.

  Aftermath

  The business became more focused on training, consulting, and organizational-performance services, supported by international operations and licensees.

  Source

• 1997

  Merge Franklin Quest with Covey Leadership CenterM&A

  Background

  Management believed that combining the Franklin Planner system with The 7 Habits leadership franchise could create synergies across products, training, intellectual property, and distribution.

  Action taken

  The companies merged on May 30, 1997, forming Franklin Covey Co. and launching a related public offering.

  Aftermath

  The merger produced a broad retail and product operation but was followed by operational criticism, a substantial share-price decline, and later restructuring toward professional services.

  Announced merger and public offering value. $160 million (January 1997 announcement)

  Source

1. 1FranklinCoveyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2FranklinCovey official websitefranklincovey.com