Acquire, Synergize, Dominate

But Franklin Planner surged ahead of the pack, primarily because of a move the company made in 1997. Until this time, Franklin was simply another player in the field. But then it bought Covey Leadership Center, merging the daily/weekly planner concept with the man who gave it all purpose in the 1980s — Stephen Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and subsequent works along the same lines.