Book Review | Impact Players

I’ve had the privilege of being mentored by some pretty incredible leaders over the years…both personally and from afar. One of the greatest challenges for leaders is how to best utilize and grow your all-stars. Liz Wiseman calls those teammates Impact Players in her newest book that helped chart the theme for the CESA Schools conference I attended the first part of October. Liz spoke at the conference and all of the attendees were given a copy of her book. I read it last week and was really encouraged! As I read about the different types of “players on a team”, I was really encouraged to learn how I can grow as a leader by investing in my teammates and helping them become the people God created them to be.

I highlighted several things while ready and have posted those notes below…

• Why do some people play at their full potential while others remain underutilized? p. xv
• We asked each manager to identify someone on their team who was doing work of extraordinary value.  We then asked the manager to describe that person’s behavior and mindsets: How do they approach their work?  How do they think about their role?  What do they do?  What do they not do?  Why is their work so valuable? p. xvi
• “Talent is everywhere, winning attitude is not.” Dan Gable p. 3
• Three different categories of contributors:
  • High-impact contributors: Those who are doing work of exceptional value and impact
  • Typical contributors: Smart, talented people who are doing solid (if not great) work
  • Under-contributors: Smart, talented people who are playing below their capability level p. 5
• Impact Players
  • wear opportunity goggles
  • react differently to uncertainty
    • do the job that’s needed
    • step up, step back
    • finish stronger
    • ask and adjust
    • make work light – when others add to the load, Impact Players make heavy demands feel lighter.
  • tap into unwritten rules
  • generates investment
• “What you know is not as important as how you think.” Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist p. 27
• Life many shortsighted professionals, I began my career seeking work that held interest for me.  But when we look beyond our ideal job and do the job that needs to be done, we make ourselves useful–and much more valuable–and increase our influence. p. 33
• Contributors see themselves as position holder.  They do the work they’re given and stay within the boundaries of their role but risk becoming so myopic that they lose sight of the overall strategy and veer off the agenda.  They do the work they’re given and stay within the boundaries of their role but risk becoming so myopic that they lose sight of the overall strategy and veer off the agenda.In contrast, Impact Players see themselves as problem solvers.  They aren’t trapped by antiquated organizational structures or overly enamored with their positions.  They don’t just do their job; they find ways to serve where they can be of greatest value.  p. 36
• We can increase our impact when we find problems that need to be solved and make ourselves useful to our organization. p. 38
• We asked the same group of managers what employee behaviors they most appreciate.  Their number one response?  “When people do things without being asked.” p. 39
• The High-Impact Habits – Impact Players jump in because they believe they can make a difference. p. 40
  • Habit 1: Learn the Game
    • Understand the Goals
    • Know the Roles
    • Empathize Upward – Upward empathy is looking beyond what frustrates you about your boss to appreciate what frustrates your boss, especially if the frustration is you.  Upward empathy can be enhanced through perspective taking–the ability to take someone else’s viewpoint into account. p. 44
    • See the Agenda
  • Habit 2: Play Where They are Needed – While contributors play their position, Impact Players play where they are needed.  For these top contributors, job descriptions are starting points — less like part boundaries that restrict their movement and more like base camps that enable them to respond quickly.  p. 46
    • Chasing Down a Problem – When a pressing problem gets complicated, do you play your position, assuming that someone else will handle it?  Or do you chase the problem down?  Your impact increases as you shift your orientation from position holder to problem solver. p. 48
  • Habit 3: Play with Passion
• The High-Impact Habits | Step Up, Step Back
  • Habit 1: Step Up
    • Take Charge
    • Secure Permission – When leaders wield influence, not formal power, others follow by choice rather than obligation.  Leaders need people to opt in. p. 83
  • Habit 2: Enroll others
  • Habit 3: Step Back
    • Create Heroes
    • Transfer Leadership
    • Follow Others
• The High Impact Habits | Finish Stronger
  • Habit 1: Finish the Whole Job
    • I’m on it
    • Consider it done
    • Count on it
    • 100 Percent Done and then Some
  • Habit 2: Maintain Ownership
    • Call In Reinforcements
    • Negotiate the Necessities
  • Habit 3: Anticipate Challenges
    • Seeing Around Corners
    • Thinking on Your Feet
    • Finishing Well
  • The High Impact Habits | Ask and Adjust
    • Habit 1: Ask for Guidance
      • Get in Tune
      • Ask for Feedback
      • Focus on the Work
    • Habit 2: Adjust Your Approach
      • Let Go – When we reset, we find our right mind.  We can’t change course until we can see clearly. p. 151
      • Fine-Tune Your Approach
      • Admit and Recover From Mistakes
        • Recognize the Gap
        • Admit Your Mistakes
        • Fix Problems Fast
        • Solve the Whole Problem
        • When we admit mistakes early and fix them quickly, we let people know we’re learning and that their feedback was a good investment. p. 154
    • Habit 3: Close the Loop
• Do you tend to make easy things difficult, or do you make hard work easier for everyone on the team?  When things are tough and the load is heavy, the most valuable players on teams make work lighter.  Though they may not be able to reduce the workload, they make the work process easier and more joyful.  p. 169
  • The High Impact Habits | Make Work Light
    • Habit 1: Be Low Maintenance
      • Low Friction
      • Economy of Words
      • Always Ready
    • Habit 2: Lighten the Load
      • Lend a Hand
      • Offer their Genius
    • Habit 3: Lighten the Atmosphere
      • Bring Levity
      • Recognize Others
      • Be Human
      • Speak Up
  • Work can be intense, but it can still be light. p. 196
• “Some think you become great on the big stage under the bright lights.  But the light only reveals the work you did in the dark.” – Jeff Bajenaru, p. 203
• Increase Your Impact
  • Master Skill 1 | Changing Your Perspective
  • Master Skill 2 | Changing Your Lens
    • The ability to interpret challenging situations as opportunities rather than threats can have a profound impact on one’s ability to cope effectively with stress. p. 213
    • Risky Business
    • Reframe Threats at Opportunities
      • Recognize ambiguity
      • Check your Lens
      • Reframe the situation
      • Replace with an opportunity lens
• If you want to make a difference, look around.  Notice what needs your attention.  Tap into your passion and your purpose, and find a way to contribute, to create impact, to play bigger and better.  Imagine the impact of starting right now. p. 275