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REVISION AND PRACTICE

Week 4 — Quick Revision

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On this page 5 headings

Start here All 18 leadership lessons on one page. Read it twice before the quiz.

Lead yourself → lead others → help others lead themselves.
Lead yourself → lead others → help others lead themselves.
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Week 4 at a glance

Introduction

  • Three parts, all starting with you.
  • True leaders create more leaders, not followers; followers come automatically.
  • Leading yourself builds empathy and makes you the example.
  • Challenges: micromanaging · zero error syndrome (expecting perfection, so not delegating or interfering) · responsibility without authority/resources · unclear roles · balancing personal and professional life.

Part 1: Lead yourself from within (6 lessons)

# Lesson Key points
1 Uphold your core values Non-negotiable; a guiding compass; do what is right, not what is easy. Col: honesty, adaptability, responsibility for his command (“I am responsible — fire 800”). Corruption isn’t only money — a teacher who doesn’t teach is corrupt.
2 Know your spheres of responsibility Control (mind, body, potential, time, energy) → Influence (family, friends, peers) → Concern (other groups, economy, world events). Covey: focus on control and your impact grows. Be proactive: “I’m doing this — is it okay?” not “Tell me what to do”.
3 Exercise your power of choice Space between stimulus and response (Covey). Choice to say yes/no, explore, seek help, build a support system. Choices bring responsibility. Dean’s “no” to a disciplined student — conduct over winning.
4 Take responsibility/ownership Stop playing victim or blaming. Seek help = strength. Victim (react, compete, win–lose, blame) vs Owner (create, collaborate, win–win, calm, resourceful). Respons-ibility = choose your response.
5 Play to your full potential Put in 100%; play to strengths; know weaknesses; strengths have downsides, weaknesses have upsides (extrovert may miss details; introvert listens well).
6 Invest in yourself Self-growth, self-care, self-worth, self-love. The event is not the self — failing ≠ being a failure.

Part 2: Lead yourself to lead others (9 lessons)

# Lesson Key points
1 Cultivate a growth mindset Overcome adversity; obstacles → opportunities. Kartic: “I can’t do digital games” → explored and partnered.
2 Manage time and energy To-do lists; prioritise; make it easy to start (bike key in the file; stop mid-sentence); love what you do; energy drainers vs boosters; recharge (siesta, meditation, stroll). “I manage myself, not time.”
3 Focus on the one thing Gary Keller: one thing that makes everything else easier. Write goals; goals support each other. Sivakumar’s one thing: joy.
4 Communicate effectively & listen actively Words of power; body language; speak so others listen; listen actively; silence and pause; solitude. Hearing ≠ listening. Know your job, their job, and the shared goal.
5 Be emotionally resilient Emotional intelligence; EQ valued over IQ. Identify triggers; regulate emotions; self-awareness via reflection, mentors, meditation, journaling.
6 Embrace change Expect, monitor, adapt quickly, learn lessons. Student → corporate → entrepreneur.
7 Manage conflict Inner conflict: values, expectations, perceptions, inner chatter. Say NO; clear agreements; reframe your lens; be your own inner coach. Creates psychological safety.
8 Delegate effectively Pick team players who can lead themselves; mutual trust; align values; define roles; empower; psychological safety.
9 Be a collaborative leader Open, non-judgmental; equal opportunity; divergent thinking before converging; listen–understand–act; tools and processes. Example: Sundar Pichai.

Part 3: Lead others to lead themselves (Gung Ho! — Ken Blanchard)

Animal Lesson Key points
Squirrel Make work worthwhile and important Vision and big picture; social value → intrinsic motivation; define 2–3 critical goals; non-negotiable values. Goals can be unmet; values cannot.
Beaver Put individuals in charge of their goals Playing field with clear territory (roles, rules); value members — listen, understand, act; use natural skills and stretch them.
Goose Cheer each other on Appreciation that is TRUE (timely, responsive, unconditional, enthusiastic); congratulations that are spontaneous, individual, specific, unique. E = mc².

Lampshade: the higher you rise, the more you see — understand every job below you, but don’t interfere.

Practice questions

  1. “I will ask my manager to tell me exactly what to do.” Which lesson does this go against?
Knowing your spheres of responsibility / being proactive — it hands control to someone else.
  1. A manager never delegates because he wants zero mistakes. What is this called?
Zero error syndrome.
  1. Which sphere is your own time and energy in?
The sphere of control.
  1. “Blame game, self-pity, expectations from others” describe which mindset?
The victim mindset (opposite of owner).
  1. A leader listens to everyone before sharing her view and then brings ideas together. Which lesson is this?
Be a collaborative leader (example: Sundar Pichai).
  1. Which Gung Ho animal teaches “cheer each other on”?
The goose.
  1. Which book asks “What is the one thing I can do such that everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?”
The ONE Thing by Gary Keller.
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