Did you know: 80% of your results come from just 20% of your actions?"

This is the Pareto Principle in action – and it’s perfectly reflected in Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Here’s what makes these habits powerful:

Be Proactive (Habit 1): Focus on your circle of influence. Don’t waste energy on things you can’t control.
Begin With the End in Mind (Habit 2): Define your mission statement. Visualise your goals.
Put First Things First (Habit 3): Use the urgent vs important matrix. Prioritise meaningful tasks over distractions.
Takeaways:

20% of your actions (the important ones) lead to 80% of your success.
Covey’s habits teach us to focus on high-impact activities rather than being busy for the sake of it.
Start small. Shift just 1–2 hours per week toward important, long-term priorities.

Which of these habits do you practise daily?

From 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Infographics by Smart Reading

Stephen Covey has helped us with a lot of insightful ideas, concepts and models. One of them is the Circle of Influence Model, also known as the CIA model along the three main actions resulting from it: Control, Influence, Accept.

It distinguish three types of issues or worries that you may have and that ask for a different response:

The Circle of CONTROL → Control
Key question: is it in my control?
Description: the factors that are directly within your control. They mainly concern you personally, and you (and often only you) can change them.
Examples: thoughts, behaviors, mindset, actions, skills, mistakes
Response: direct most of your time and energy to these factors, this will minimize feelings of overwhelm and makes you feel in control.

The Circle of INFLUENCE → Influence
Key question: if it’s not in my control, can I exert influence in it?
Description: factors involving other people or situations that you can interact with but that you can only partially affect.
Examples: relationships, commitments, job, roles, positions
Response: focus on those factors that you have most influence on and accept the factors on which your influence is limited.

The Circle of CONCERNS → Accept
Key question: If I can’t control or influence it, can I accept it?
Description: the factors outside your control. They affect you and they may concern you, but you can’t do something about them.
Examples: weather, economy, war, legislation, virus outbreak
Response: let go and accept that you can not directly do something about them. Focus on what you can influence and control.

The categories are not fixed and they depend on your position. What is merely in the Circle of Concern of most people, such as the economy for example, is in the Circle of Influence of politicians.

This means that the Three Circles of Influence look different for every individual person. But exactly that makes it such a powerful model. Because you can immediately apply it to yourself, or to your team or organization.

One way to do this smartly is to make an inventory of all issues and topics you are currently concerned about; that you worry about and keep your head busy. Once you have the list you can then categorize them in the three categories and follow the brief recommendations given above.

The main effect this should have is that you feel more in control and spend your time more effectively on those factors where you can actually make a difference.

Do you spend your time and energy on the right factors? "

"Emotional intelligence isn’t rocket science.

It’s a high-achieving skill you can learn and develop.

But first, let's clear up what it's not:

- It's not thinking you're always right.
- It's not acting on the first impulse.
- It's not ignoring what others say.

Here’s what it really means is:

- Knowing yourself completely.
- Understanding how others feel.
- Keeping your cool when things get tough.

90% of top performers have high emotional intelligence
(According to TalentSmart)

Become a high performer today.
Master your emotional intelligence with this sheet:

Understand the 5 key components of EQ:

1. Self-awareness
2. Self-regulation
3. Motivation
4. Empathy
5. Social skills

Learn the benefits of having a high EQ:

1. Improved team synergy
2. The ability to adapt better to change
3. Navigating conflict with ease
4. Become a stronger leader
5. Develop more as a person

Grow through actionable tips:

1. Reflecting daily
2. Seek feedback
3. Improve your listening
4. Understand your emotions
5. Learn more through courses online

My top 10 resources for developing your EQ

↳ The Top 5 EQ TED talks
↳. The Top 5 EQ Books

Develop your EQ today.
For a brighter career tomorrow."

______________

6 storytelling frameworks you need to know.

Most CEOs get storytelling wrong.

And it's costing them millions.

I've seen brilliant ideas die in boardrooms.
Watched potential investors check their phones.
Noticed employees' eyes glaze over during speeches.

Not because the ideas were bad.
But because the story wasn't there.

These 6 frameworks change everything:

1) Simon Sinek's Golden Circle
↳ Don't start with what you do. Start with WHY you do it.
↳ Then explain HOW you do it differently.
↳ Only then share WHAT you actually offer.

When Airbnb pitches, they don't just say "we rent rooms."
They start with "we create belonging."

2) Minto's Pyramid Principle
↳ Hit them with your main point first.
↳ Support it with clear evidence.
↳ Add details only if they ask.

Your busy stakeholders will love you for this.
No more waiting until slide 20 for the punchline.

3) The Pixar Pitch
↳ "Once upon a time..." (set the scene)
↳ "Every day..." (show the problem)
↳ "Until one day..." (introduce your solution)
↳ "Because of that..." (share the impact)
↳ "Until finally..." (reveal the transformation)

This structure is pure magic for showing
your company's journey or vision.

4) StoryBrand Framework
↳ Your customer is Luke Skywalker
↳ You're Yoda, the guide
↳ Show them how to win

Stop making your company the hero. It's not about you.

5) What, So What, Now What
↳ State the facts clearly
↳ Explain why anyone should care
↳ Define the next steps

Perfect for turning quarterly reports from sleep aids
into action drivers.

6) ABT (And, But, Therefore)
↳ Set up what everyone agrees on
↳ Introduce the challenge
↳ Present your solution

When you need to be quick and compelling,
this is your go-to.

In today's world, the best story wins.

It wins the talent.
It wins the customers.
It wins the investment.

Your brilliance deserves a story that matches it.

Master these frameworks, and watch what happens to:

Your impact.
Your influence.
Your bottom line.

Repost to help a CEO in your network.

Mistakes are proof that you’re trying.

Excel errors are unavoidable, but they don’t have to be career-limiting. Most of the time, all it takes is the right approach to fix them.

Here are 10 common Excel errors and how you can troubleshoot them effectively:

1. Error → Column too narrow → Widen the column.
2. hashtag
hashtag#DIV/0! Error → Division by zero → Use IFERROR to avoid crashing your data.
3. hashtag
hashtag#N/A Error → Missing lookup values → Check for typos in your data.
4. hashtag
hashtag#CALC! Error → Array issues → Use an IF function to manage formula errors.
5. hashtag
hashtag#NAME? Error → Spelling mistake in function → Verify function names carefully.
6. hashtag
hashtag#NULL! Error → Overlapping ranges → Adjust your formula.
7. hashtag
hashtag#NUM! Error → Invalid numbers → Stay within Excel’s limits.
8. hashtag
hashtag#REF! Error → Broken cell reference → Use absolute references.
9. hashtag
hashtag#VALUE! Error → Incorrect input type → Check your formula syntax.
10. hashtag
hashtag#SPILL! Error → Output conflict → Clear obstructed cells.

Excel isn’t perfect, but with these simple fixes, your workflow can be!

Image Credit to: goskills