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Concern vs. Influence

Explore the distinction between your circle of concern and circle of influence as a software engineer. This lesson helps you understand how to focus your energy on what you can control, expand your competence, and manage distractions for better strategic awareness in your career.

Concentric circles

In Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he makes a distinction between proactive people, who focus on what they can do and influence, and reactive people, who focus their energy on things beyond their control. He visualizes it with two concentric circles:

  • Circle of concern
  • Circle of influence

Circle of concern

A larger circle of concern includes everything you care about, from personal ...