LEADERSHIP - Habit

Habit One - Be Proactive 

Being proactive is all about taking action in advance for expected change. It is a way of taking responsibility. " Our basic  nature is to ACT, and not to be acted upon " -  Stephen R Covey.

Being proactive mean 👇

🫶 Taking initiative ( Recognizing our responsibility to make things happen)

🫶 Listening to our Language ( our language also play key role in our proactivity - we must use the right language like for example " I can do it, I have to do it , I am the one to create this change, I am determined, I am positive, I am successful and not using any negative words. )

Reactive language × proactive language

Reactive language

😢 There's nothing I can do. 

😢That's just the way I am.

😢 He makes me so mad.

😢They won't allow that.

😢I have to do that

😢I can't

😢 I must 

😢 If only

When you have used these language to define any situation, it's likely you won't do it because there's no motivation. Let's take a look at Proactive language

🙂 Let's look at our alternatives.

🙂I can choose a different approach

🙂I can control my own feeling.

🙂I can create an effective presentation.

🙂 I will choose an appropriate response.

🙂 I choose

🙂I prefer 

🙂 I will

These sounds more positive, and come with a motivation and will to do irrespective of the circumstances.

Circle of concern -

Analyzing the area of Focus ( where we focus our time and energy) is one way to help us become more proactive.

Taking note of where we focus our time and energy  for example work, family, education, health and so on 

If you run a careful analysis on that , we will be able to identify the key areas where we spend much of our  time and mark it our circle of influence. 

Identify the difference between circle of concern and circle of influence is more like separating the chaff from the grain.

Where Reactive people focus on efforts in the circle of concern, proactive people focus on the circle of influence. So if we focus on the wrong thing, it likely we are not being proactive but to hit the Target which is the very important (circle of influence - the main thing we focus our time and energy on that determine every other thing).

We can say - Positive energy enlarges the circle of influence whereas negative energy reduces the circle of influence.

To solve any problem, we must first know what the problem is and then ask the question - HOW do I solve this problem ❓

There are three kinds of problems we face and grouped as follows

- Direct

-Indirect 

-No control.

Direct - problems involving our own behavior

Indirect -Problem involving other people's behavior

No control - Problems we can do nothing about i.e Death of a loved one 

Direct control problems -are solved by adjusting our behavior and reactions

Indirect control problems - are solved by changing our method of influence

No control problems - Involve taking responsibility to change how we see the problem and learn to live with them even if we don't like it. For instance we can't bring back a love one but we can keep a dear memory of them to our heart.

" The proactive approach to a mistake is to acknowledge it instantly, correct and learn from it. This  literally turns a failure into a success. " - Stephen R Covey

IBM Founder T.J  Watson said  and I quote " Success is on that far side of failure "

Our response to situation changes the narrative. Dare to be proactive today 

🥂 🥂

Joachim Duru,

For NLiN 

Excerpt from-  The 7 habits of highly effective people by Stephen R Covey