Mental Models For Managing Change - The Circle of Control, Influence, & Concern

Welcome to a very special mini-series on The Inner Game of Change. I’m thrilled to take you on this journey as we explore something both timeless and practical: Mental Models for Managing Change.

In this episode, we explore one of the most practical and empowering models in the change toolkit: the Circle of Control, Influence, and Concern.

When faced with uncertainty or disruption, where we place our attention can make or break our impact. This timeless mental model helps us distinguish between what we can control, what we can influence, and what we should consciously let go of.

You’ll discover:

• How to apply this model in personal and organizational change
• Common traps that drain energy and focus
• Practical strategies to expand your circle of influence
• Why mindset and boundaries are critical in times of flux

This episode is an invitation to pause, refocus, and lead from a place of clarity and agency.

Send us a text

Ali Juma
@The Inner Game of Change podcast

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hi everyone and welcome back to Mental Models
for Managing Change.
I am Ali Juma and I'm glad youare tuning in.
In our last episode, weexplored the Pareto principle, a
model that reminds us not alleffort is equal.
This episode was about clarityand focus how to identify the

(00:27):
few things that create thebiggest shift in change.
Today we're adding anotherlayer, a way to navigate where
and how to direct the energywhen things feel overwhelming or
out of reach.
But before we dive in, let'squickly revisit what a mental
model actually is.
A mental model is a way ofseeing, a mental framework that

(00:51):
helps us interpret complexity,solve problems and make better
decisions.
We can think of it as a map fornavigating uncertainty and,
like any good map, the clearerit is, the more grounded we
become, even when things aroundus are moving.
Which brings us to today'smodel the circle of control,

(01:12):
influence and concern.
A game changer for how wemanage pressure, uncertainty and
scope in complex change.
Complex change when does itcome from?
This model was popularized byStephen Covey in the Seven

(01:33):
Habits of Highly EffectivePeople, but its roots go back to
Stoic philosophy, particularlythe teachings of Epictetus, who
said we cannot control whathappens to us, but we can
control how we respond.
At its core, this model helpsus separate what we worry about
from what we can actuallyinfluence and from what is

(01:56):
directly in our control.
It sounds simple, but it isoften transformational.
Often transformational, themodel Imagine three concentric
circles.
At the center is your circle ofcontrol the things that you can

(02:17):
take direct action on yourbehaviors, decisions,
conversations and how you showup.
Surrounding that is your circleof influence.
Things you cannot controloutright but can shape over time
Think relationships, teamculture, buy-in and support, and
around both is your circle ofconcern.

(02:38):
All the things you care aboutbut cannot directly affect
Market conditions, structuralchanges and decisions made far
above you.
The power of this model lies inwhere you choose to spend your
energy.
When we fixate on what wecannot control, we feel
powerless.
But when we anchor ourselves inwhat we can do, clarity and

(03:00):
progress usually follow.
Why it matters in change, inchange work, it is easy to
spiral into the circle ofconcern.
Why aren't they engaging?
Why is leadership doing it thisway?

(03:20):
Why isn't the system betterdesigned?
These are valid concerns, butif we stay there too long,
frustration builds and tractionfades, linking this back to the
Pareto principle even whenyou're in a circle of control,
there is a 20% that creates mostof the shift.
So now we're not just askingwhat matters most, we're also

(03:44):
asking what is within our reach.
What can I actually do today orthis week to move something
forward?
This is how focus becomessustainable.
A story from the field.

(04:05):
I once worked with a mid-levelmanager who was stuck.
Her transmission program wasunderway, the messaging was
unclear and her team was growinganxious.
She told me I can't fix thecomms, I'm not in those meetings
.
I don't even agree with thepace.
We mapped her circles, what wasin her control, how she created

(04:27):
space for team conversations.
How she named uncertaintywithout fueling panic.
How she acknowledged what theycould shape and what they needed
to ride out.
Over time.
That team didn't just cope.
They become one of the mostadaptive pockets in the
organization, not because thesystem got easier, but because

(04:55):
they got clearer on where theystand.
How to use the model.
Here are three ways to use thismodel in your work.
Use it in planning sessionswhen things feel stuck.
Map out the concerns, then askwhich of these are within our
control or influence.
Two use it with teams indistress.

(05:16):
If morale is low, use thismodel to create boundaries.
Help people distinguish betweenwhat is worth their energy and
what is worth letting go.
3.
Use it personally.
Change can feel deeply personalwhen you're overwhelmed.
Sit with this model for fiveminutes.
You'll often leave with acalmer mind and a clearer action

(05:40):
.
So here's your reflection forthis week.
Think of a situation that feelsheavy or frustrating and ask
what is in my circle of concern,what is in my circle of
influence and what is truly inmy circle of control.

(06:02):
Then do one small thing in yourcontrol that could ease
pressure or create clarity.
That one action might be thespark that moves something
bigger.
Thanks again for listening toMental Models for Managing
Change.
In our next episode we'llexplore leverage points, a model

(06:25):
from systems thinking thatshows us where to intervene in a
system for the greatest effect.
It is where tiny tweaks createtransformational outcomes.
Until then, I'll leave you withthis you cannot control the
wind, but you can adjust thesails Until next time.
Oh, and one more thing Ifyou're enjoying this mini-series

(06:53):
and want to go deeper into thehuman side of change,
conversations about leadership,culture and the psychology of
transformation, you might enjoysome of the longer episodes on
my other podcast stream, theInner Game of Change.
It is where I sit with thinkers, leaders and practitioners to
explore what it really takes tolead change from inside out.

(07:14):
You will find those episodesright here in the same feed.
Thanks again and talk soon.
Thank you.