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. Sed quid attinet de rebus tam apertis plura requirere? Mihi enim erit isdem istis fortasse iam utendum. Tubulum fuisse, qua illum, cuius is condemnatus est rogatione, P. Quantam rem agas, ut Circeis qui habitet totum hunc mundum suum municipium esse existimet? Duo Reges: constructio interrete. Fortemne possumus dicere eundem illum Torquatum? Quodcumque in mentem incideret, et quodcumque tamquam occurreret. Nunc haec primum fortasse audientis servire debemus. Huic mori optimum esse propter desperationem sapientiae, illi propter spem vivere. Quod si ita se habeat, non possit beatam praestare vitam sapientia. Nos commodius agimus. Nunc de hominis summo bono quaeritur; Atqui iste locus est, Piso, tibi etiam atque etiam confirmandus, inquam; Bona autem corporis huic sunt, quod posterius posui, similiora. Quoniam, si dis placet, ab Epicuro loqui discimus. Contineo me ab exemplis. Tu vero, inquam, ducas licet, si sequetur; Itaque homo in primis ingenuus et gravis, dignus illa familiaritate Scipionis et Laelii, Panaetius, cum ad Q. Non laboro, inquit, de nomine. Quod praeceptum quia maius erat, quam ut ab homine videretur, idcirco assignatum est deo.
- Audit your focus.
Spend a week tracking how much you focus on factors that are out of your control ...
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quis tibi ergo istud dabit praeter Pyrrhonem, Aristonem eorumve similes, quos tu non probas? Cetera illa adhibebat, quibus demptis negat se Epicurus intellegere quid sit bonum.
Ergo id est convenienter naturae vivere, a natura discedere. Magni enim aestimabat pecuniam non modo non contra leges, sed etiam legibus partam. Ad quorum et cognitionem et usum iam corroborati natura ipsa praeeunte deducimur. An me, inquam, nisi te audire vellem, censes haec dicturum fuisse? Ne amores quidem sanctos a sapiente alienos esse arbitrantur. Duo Reges: constructio interrete.
Nos quidem Virtutes sic natae sumus, ut tibi serviremus, aliud negotii nihil habemus. Te ipsum, dignissimum maioribus tuis, voluptasne induxit, ut adolescentulus eriperes P. Et hunc idem dico, inquieta sed ad virtutes et ad vitia nihil interesse. Atqui reperies, inquit, in hoc quidem pertinacem; Si quicquam extra virtutem habeatur in bonis. Qui autem esse poteris, nisi te amor ipse ceperit? At iam decimum annum in spelunca iacet. Optime, inquam. Tubulum fuisse, qua illum, cuius is condemnatus est rogatione, P. Quid autem habent admirationis, cum prope accesseris?
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.
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Arun,
A proactivity tool is mentioned in Actionable takeaways, how or where can we get access to this?
Thanks
Dimiter