Your single greatest responsibility is to understand and manage your (I)individual influence. When you recognize your power, you will use it wisely.
As Seen In:
Unveiling the Essence of Leadership with IA Business Advisors' “I” in Team Series
Discover the essence of leadership with the "I" in Team series by IA Business Advisors. Originating as a book trilogy, it has evolved into a diverse platform offering insights on individual, positive, and responsible influence. We believe that our most important responsibility is our influence - the influence we have on ourselves and those around us. However, humans don't always consciously think about the entire sphere of influence they have.
Embark on a transformative journey with the “I” in Team series where wisdom converges with influence, reshaping the dimensions of leadership. Our podcast, Daily Influence, delivers daily reflections on positive leadership attributes, encouraging practical implementation. Our blogs and articles provide digestible content for personal and professional growth.
individual vs Individual "(I)individual"
It is our philosophy that the word individual has a dual meaning: one person/many persons, one action/many actions, one word/many words. One is an individual; collectively, they are Individual. In other words, you are an individual person, but when you come together with other individual people, you create an Individual team/group/collective.
Throughout the
“I” in Team series, you will notice the use of these words and their subtle differences. When referring to a single person, task, or action, the word individual—with a lowercase I—is used. When referring to an entity that is made of multiple individuals, the word Individual—with a capital I—is used. When referring to the commingling of individuals and Individuals, the word (I)individual is used.
individual vs Individual Examples
Dot, US Army Ret.
individual
Dot, an individual residing in California, retired from the US Army last year and now spends her free time with her family or volunteering at a local animal sanctuary. Dot is well known for her individual baking skills, which she uses to raise money for her grandkids' school and the sanctuary. Every Friday, she makes an individual list of items she will need to purchase for her next individual baking project.
Individual
Before Dot retired from the US Army, she was an Individual with her squad unit. Her unit, and all the other units, comprise the Individual US Army. Now, she is part of a different Individual group—Veterans. She feels she can use her influence well and positively contribute to the betterment of humankind through her baking, which she uses to raise money for her grandkids' Individual school and the Individual animal sanctuary.
(I)individual
Garrett, College Graduate
individual
Garrett, an individual residing in New York, just graduated from college with his bachelor's in psychology. He wants to help people struggling with addiction, so he is planning on continuing his education in a master's program but is taking a short break to focus on himself. Garrett is exploring his other interests outside of school, so he is working on an individual list of activities to try each week to see which he likes the most.
Individual
Before individual Garrett graduated, he was an Individual with his classmates. Since graduating, Garrett has remained in touch with some of them. They meet individually once per month to catch up and discuss interesting topics like psychology and philosophy and what is happening in the world. When they meet, one individual chooses an Individual location, so each month is different. Garrett usually chooses to meet at his favorite Individual tea shop.
Your Influence Matters
Whether you're a top CEO, accountant, teacher, hairdresser, construction worker, or anything else, your influence is just as important as everyone else's. You influence yourself and your teams every day. How you choose to wield your influence significantly affects your present and future. You have the power to spread positivity through your thoughts, words, and actions.
Individual Influence: Find the "I" in Team
In Individual Influence, authors Brian Smith, Ph.D., and Mary Griffin make a persuasive case that even a company or team of individual players is still an "Individual" at its core―expressing the collective influence of all those who play a role in it. Thus, there is not just one "I" in team, but many.
Demonstrated through real-life experience working with and leading teams, the authors cover many transformative concepts, including:
- How to be your best self so that your unique influence radiates from you
- Reaping the benefits of slowing down and existing within the moment
- How to delegate, hold accountable, define values, and achieve balance
- Setting realistic success criteria for yourself and learning to celebrate small victories
- Gaining more significant influence over your own conscious thoughts and reshaping your reality
Positive Influence: Be the "I" in Team
In the second book in the "I" in Team series, authors Brian Smith and Mary Griffin show readers the fine art of transforming their influence into a force for good. They share tools on how to stay humble, lead themselves and the people around them well, and create opportunities to expand their influence in new and exciting ways, including offering wisdom on:
- Understanding that each person is important and has tremendous influence
- Looking out for common pitfalls and avoiding the traps you set for yourself
- How to remain composed, take the high road, and avoid unnecessary overreactions
- Understanding how you learn best so you can work to be your best self
- Valuing true diversity and equality and understanding how it influences us all
Responsible Influence: Build the “I” in Team
Smith and Griffin continue the “I” in Team series journey by helping all humans (all leaders) consider how they will build themselves and others with the power of influence. Every human has the power to influence, and, therefore, is primed to be a leader. By coming to terms with our ability to affect others with our energies, words, and actions, we begin to grow in claiming this responsibility instead of remaining blind.
Through real-life stories and summarized key takeaways, the authors promote out-of-the-box learning. Responsible leaders will encounter topics such as:
- Evaluating the gaps in the present state of leadership, and pivoting toward servant leadership
- Setting the example and being the influence you wish to see grow on your teams
- Developing appropriate policies and procedures to ensure a solid organizational foundation
- Remaining open-minded to create a safe space for diversity to thrive
- Adapting big-picture ideas into smaller, tactical actions
About the Authors
Get Your Business Prescription
When you are ready to have a clear view (BizVision™) of your company and tackle any of the business issues that are hurting your potential viability, contact your business doctor, IA Business Advisors.
