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This model is reflected by a famous quote by Reinhold Niebuhr: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, ... Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Tollenda est atque extrahenda radicitus. Quodsi ipsam honestatem undique pertectam atque absolutam. Duo Reges: constructio interrete. Quo modo autem optimum, si bonum praeterea nullum est? An hoc usque quaque, aliter in vita? Obsecro, inquit, Torquate, haec dicit Epicurus? Nullus est igitur cuiusquam dies natalis. Num igitur utiliorem tibi hunc Triarium putas esse posse, quam si tua sint Puteolis granaria? Inde igitur, inquit, ordiendum est. Potius ergo illa dicantur: turpe esse, viri non esse debilitari dolore, frangi, succumbere. Quem si tenueris, non modo meum Ciceronem, sed etiam me ipsum abducas licebit. Ergo illi intellegunt quid Epicurus dicat, ego non intellego? Atqui pugnantibus et contrariis studiis consiliisque semper utens nihil quieti videre, nihil tranquilli potest. Multoque hoc melius nos veriusque quam Stoici. Verum tamen cum de rebus grandioribus dicas, ipsae res verba rapiunt; Nihilne est in his rebus, quod dignum libero aut indignum esse ducamus? Nonne videmus quanta perturbatio rerum omnium consequatur, quanta confusio? Cur igitur, inquam, res tam dissimiles eodem nomine appellas? Est autem etiam actio quaedam corporis, quae motus et status naturae congruentis tenet; Quid adiuvas?
- Audit your focus.
Spend a week tracking how much you focus on factors that are out of your control ...
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Sed tamen intellego quid velit. Dulce amarum, leve asperum, prope longe, stare movere, quadratum rotundum. Duo Reges: constructio interrete. Quae cum ita sint, effectum est nihil esse malum, quod turpe non sit. Qui autem esse poteris, nisi te amor ipse ceperit?
Ego quoque, inquit, didicerim libentius si quid attuleris, quam te reprehenderim. Ait enim se, si uratur, Quam hoc suave! dicturum.
It can be difficult to determine what’s in your Circle of Concern versus your Circle of Influence. For example, as a senior manager, a member of your team might be influenced by you yet will ultimately make their own decisions. One strategy to mitigate this is to consider an additional element called the 'Circle of Control', which relates directly to your behaviour at the centre of the two circles.
Another potential challenge lies when taking this model to its extreme, as it can be used to justify 'narcissistic tendencies' by focusing on yourself rather than using it as a means to engage or impact the external world.
Victor Frankl and the holocaust
Covey’s example of applying this model puts a lot in perspective. He cites the story of Austrian psychiatrist Victor Frankl and his experience in the Nazi holocaust.
Frankl saw most of his family killed and everything stripped away from him, yet he endured. Frankl said: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”
Hopefully, you’ll use this heroic example of proactivity as inspiration rather than intimidation.
This model particularly aligns with productivity models that encourage high value activity.
Use the following examples of connected and complementary models to weave the circle of concern and influence into your broader latticework of mental models. Alternatively, discover your own connections by exploring the category list above.
Connected models:
- Psychological Safety: this model can support the development of psychological safety by shifting from a blame culture.
Complementary models:
- Growth mindset: combining this mental model with a growth mindset allows you to consider how to increase your circle of influence.
- Habit formation and habit stacking: developing these practices as daily habits and processes to use in meetings becomes a powerful life approach.
- Cialidini’s Six Principles of Influence: Cialdini's model aims to extend your influence over people and can be used to challenge the defined limits of the circle of concern and influence as a result.
- Jealousy as a Map: to help establish your priority goals.
This model was created by Stephen Covey, author and speaker and was first featured in his book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People'. Find out more by visiting the Franklin Covey Institute here.
My Notes
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Arun,
A proactivity tool is mentioned in Actionable takeaways, how or where can we get access to this?
Thanks
Dimiter