The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness Ch 7

The Voice of Influence - Be a Trim-Tab

• Modeling is the core of leadership, developing four intelligences: vision, discipline, passion, and conscience.
• It's primarily demonstrated through the other three roles of leadership (pathfinding, aligning, and empowering).
• Authentic leadership emerges when individuals experience the impact of a conscience-driven leader who embodies these principles.
• Identification with a vision can be more powerful than direct involvement, as seen with followers of notable figures like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
• The power of a team is the synergy of individual strengths, creating a collective that compensates for individual weaknesses.

The Attitude of Influence

• The voice of influence is cultivated through a mindful attitude, actively choosing to make a difference.
• Victimism is a mindset that breeds frustration and disempowerment.
• Shifting the blame from external sources to internal responsibility liberates individuals emotionally.
• Developing personal character and skill through practice is crucial for applying principle-centered solutions in challenging situations.

The Greek Philosophy of Influence

• Ethos, pathos, and logos represent the three pillars of influence:
  • Ethos: Ethical nature, personal credibility, and trustworthiness.
  • Pathos: Empathy, understanding another's feelings, needs, and perspective.
  • Logos: Logic, persuasive communication of thoughts and ideas.
• Building influence starts with understanding (pathos) and is then followed by demonstrating credibility (ethos) and effectively presenting logical arguments (logos).

The Trim-Tab Leader

• The Trim-Tab is a small rudder that steers a larger vessel, symbolizing the power of influence from within a system, even without formal authority.
• Initiative and empathy are key to becoming a Trim-Tab leader, leveraging strengths within your circle of influence to positively impact the larger organization.
• The Circle of Influence vs. the Circle of Concern highlights the importance of focusing on areas you can control, rather than obsessing over uncontrollable external factors.

7 Levels of Initiative or Self-Empowerment

• Seven Levels of Initiative range from "Wait until told" to "Do it," offering a spectrum of proactive actions for influencing situations.
• Choosing the appropriate level of initiative depends on the task's proximity to your Circle of Influence, requiring situational sensitivity and judgment.
• Striving for excellence and adopting world-class standards can drive personal growth and inspire others even within unfulfilling jobs.

The Dangers of Victimism and Codependency

• Victimism: Fosters unhealthy behaviors like criticizing, complaining, comparing, competing, and contending, weakening individuals' ability to influence positive change.
• Codependency: Results from seeking external validation rather than internal strength, contributing to destructive cycles within relationships, teams, and cultures.
• Competition is healthy in settings like athletics and the marketplace, encouraging growth and improvement through benchmarking and learning from others.
• The Power of the Free Enterprise System: Fosters competition within markets while promoting cooperation within workplaces.

Completed Staff Work

• A method for effective decision-making that empowers subordinates by requiring them to thoroughly analyze problems, develop solutions, and present well-prepared recommendations.
• Completed Staff Work encourages independent thought and avoids the temptation to resort to quick fixes, promoting personal growth and accountability.

Empowerment and Initiative

• General Patton's quote emphasizes the importance of trusting individuals to find solutions instead of providing direct instructions.
• Captain David Marquet employed an "I intend to" system on the USS Santa Fe, empowering his crew to take initiative and declare their intentions.
• "I intend to" initiative signifies a higher level of responsibility, as the individual analyzes and prepares to carry out the action before seeking approval.
• "Do it and report immediately" initiative involves taking action and reporting the outcome promptly for information sharing and corrections.
• "Do it and report periodically" initiative is suitable for actions requiring periodic updates, aligning with performance evaluations and reporting requirements.
• "Do it" initiative is the highest level, aligning with the core of one's job description and responsibilities.
• "A Message to Garcia" story illustrates the powerful impact of taking responsibility and taking initiative without seeking constant permission.
• Trim-tab leader refers to a person who consistently and proactively contributes to the success of their environment.
• Tom Peters describes the trim-tab attitude as embracing seemingly mundane tasks as opportunities for self-empowerment and growth.
• Example of Ben: Ben, despite being treated like a gofer, leveraged his initiative to become highly effective in his role, gaining trust, and becoming influential.
• Leadership as a choice: The text asserts that embracing initiative and choosing how to contribute is a key aspect of leadership
• 7 Levels of Initiative: The text outlines a hierarchy of initiative levels, ranging from "Wait until told" to "Do it," encouraging individuals to consider which level is most suitable.
• Four intelligences: The text emphasizes the need to engage all four intelligences (spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and doing) when exercising initiative.
• Circle of Influence and Circle of Concern: The text emphasizes that as one's Circle of Influence expands through initiative, so does one's Circle of Concern.
• Becoming the leader of your boss: The text encourages individuals to build their credibility and moral authority, becoming influential within their organizations, even potentially surpassing their managers in expertise.
• Addressing the concern about control freak bosses: The text suggests that individuals can still embrace initiative in challenging environments by focusing on building credibility, empathizing with their manager's needs, and taking calculated risks.
• Investing in personal development: The text encourages continuous investment in personal and professional growth as a means to enhance problem-solving skills and create a sense of security independent of external factors.
• Choosing battles wisely: The text advises selecting battles that are within one's reach and avoiding unnecessary risks, encouraging the use of initiative to build credibility through well-thought-out recommendations.