Seventh Month Detailed Schedule

Weeks 25-28: Phase 3A - Leadership Foundations

Phase 2 taught you how to understand and influence others. Phase 3A teaches you to LEAD them - with purpose, integrity, and courage. Leadership isn’t about your position; it’s about inspiring others to action through your own clarity of purpose.

How to Use This Schedule

Daily Time Commitment: 30-60 minutes

• Morning option: During baby’s first nap
• Evening option: After baby’s bedtime
• Split option: 15 min morning + 15-30 min evening

Flexibility Rules:

• Miss a day? Just continue where you left off
• Behind schedule? Skip optional items (marked with *)
• Ahead? Move to next day or go deeper on current material

Icons:

• :movie_camera: Video/Course
• :books: Reading
• :headphones: Audiobook-friendly
• :memo: Writing/Reflection
• :wrench: Setup task
• :brain: AI practice
• :zap: Quick task (< 15 min)

Week 25: Start With Why - The Golden Circle

Goal: Complete “Start With Why” + Articulate your personal WHY

Day 169 (Monday)

TED Talk: How Great Leaders Inspire Action (60M+ views)

Why Start With a TED Talk:

• This is the third most-watched TED Talk ever
• It covers 80% of the book’s core idea in 18 minutes
• You’ll read deeper, but start with the overview

Key Question:

“Why does Apple command such loyalty? Why did Martin Luther King lead the civil rights movement? Why were the Wright Brothers able to achieve powered flight? They all started with WHY.”

Day 170 (Tuesday)

The Golden Circle:

        +---------------+
        |      WHY      |  <- Purpose, cause, belief
        |   +-------+   |     (What you believe)
        |   |  HOW  |   |  <- Process, values
        |   | +---+ |   |     (How you do it)
        |   | |WHAT| |   |  <- Products, services
        |   | +---+ |   |     (What you do)
        |   +-------+   |
        +---------------+

Most Organizations Communicate Outside-In:

• WHAT: “We make great computers.”
• HOW: “They’re beautifully designed and user-friendly.”
• WHY: (Never mentioned)

Inspiring Leaders Communicate Inside-Out:

• WHY: “We believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently.”
• HOW: “We make products that are beautifully designed and user-friendly.”
• WHAT: “We happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?”

Key Insight:

“People don’t buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it.”

Day 171 (Wednesday)

The Biology Behind WHY:

Why “Gut Decisions” Matter:

• The limbic brain controls decision-making but has no capacity for language
• This is why we say “it just feels right” but can’t articulate why
• WHY speaks to the part of the brain that actually makes decisions

The Split Test:

• If you give people facts and features (WHAT), they analyze but don’t act
• If you give them purpose and belief (WHY), they feel motivated to act
• “I don’t know why, but I trust them”

Day 172 (Thursday)

Trust Emerges from WHY:

• We trust people and organizations that share our values
• Shared WHY creates belonging
• “People like us do things like this”

The Law of Diffusion of Innovation:

           +
          /|\
         / | \
        /  |  \          Innovators (2.5%)
       /   |   \         Early Adopters (13.5%)
      /    |    \        Early Majority (34%)
     /     |     \       Late Majority (34%)
    /      |      \      Laggards (16%)
   +-------+-------+

The Tipping Point:

• Mass market success requires 15-18% adoption first
• Innovators and Early Adopters buy WHY, not WHAT
• They tolerate imperfect products for the cause
• You must win them before the majority follows

AI prompt:

Analyze [company name]'s messaging:
- What is their stated WHY (purpose)?
- What is their HOW (differentiating values)?
- What is their WHAT (products/services)?
- Do they communicate from the inside out or outside in?
- What would their messaging look like if they started with WHY?

Day 173 (Friday)

WHY-Types vs. HOW-Types:

Why Both Matter:

• WHY without HOW is just a dream
• HOW without WHY is just a job
• Great organizations have both types working together

The Celery Test:

• Your WHY filters decisions
• “We believe in healthy living” - buy celery, not M&Ms
• Consistency builds trust
• Everything you do must prove what you believe

Day 174 (Saturday) - Lighter Day

Finding Your WHY:

Step 1: Look backward - What experiences shaped you?

• Moments of pride and fulfillment
• Times when you felt most alive
• Stories you tell repeatedly

Step 2: Identify patterns - What themes emerge?

• Who were you helping?
• What need were you meeting?
• Why did it matter?

Step 3: Draft your WHY:

“To [CONTRIBUTION] so that [IMPACT]”

Examples:

• “To inspire people to do the things that inspire them, so that together we can change the world” (Simon Sinek)
• “To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more” (Microsoft)
• “To help create a future without boundaries” (LinkedIn)

Your Draft:

“To _____________ so that _____________”

Day 175 (Sunday) - Review + Transition

Start With Why Summary:

Transition to Next Week: You know WHY matters. Now learn HOW to create the environment where people FEEL safe enough to commit to your WHY.

Week 25 Checkpoint

Before moving to Week 26, you should have:

• Watched Simon Sinek’s TED Talk (18 min)
• Read “Start With Why”
• Drawn the Golden Circle
• Drafted your personal WHY statement
• Created 5+ flashcards on key concepts
• Obtained “Leaders Eat Last”

Your WHY Statement (v1):

“To _____________ so that _____________”

Week 26: Leaders Eat Last - The Circle of Safety

Goal: Complete “Leaders Eat Last” + Understand the biology of leadership

Day 176 (Monday)

TED Talk: Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe

The Core Premise:

“Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.”

The Circle of Safety:

+--------------------------------------------------+
|                                                  |
|    DANGER ZONE: External threats, competition,   |
|    uncertainty, change, market forces            |
|                                                  |
|         +----------------------------+           |
|         |                            |           |
|         |     CIRCLE OF SAFETY       |           |
|         |                            |           |
|         |  Trust, cooperation, no    |           |
|         |  threats from each other   |           |
|         |                            |           |
|         +----------------------------+           |
|                                                  |
+--------------------------------------------------+

Leader’s Job: Extend the circle to include everyone.

Day 177 (Tuesday)

The Biology of Leadership - 4 Chemicals:

E.D.S.O. Framework:

• E + D = Individual Survival (Me)
• S + O = Group Survival (We)
• Great leaders create environments rich in S + O

Dopamine vs. Oxytocin:

Day 178 (Wednesday)

Why Leaders Eat Last:

• Military tradition: Officers eat after enlisted personnel
• Symbolic of putting the team’s needs first
• Creates trust through demonstrated self-sacrifice

The Cortisol Problem:

• Cortisol = stress hormone
• Releases when we feel threatened (including from inside the organization)
• Inhibits oxytocin (trust)
• Makes us selfish and short-term focused

Environments That Create Cortisol:

• Layoffs and job insecurity
• Internal competition for resources
• Lack of transparency
• Leaders who don’t protect their people

Environments That Create Oxytocin:

• Psychological safety
• Leaders who sacrifice for the team
• Time spent together (not just transactions)
• Authentic human connection

Day 179 (Thursday)

The Abstraction Problem:

• The bigger the organization, the more abstracted people become
• Numbers on spreadsheets, not humans
• Easier to hurt people you don’t see

Dunbar’s Number:

• ~150 = maximum number of stable social relationships
• Beyond 150, we need hierarchy and rules
• Great organizations find ways to maintain human connection at scale

AI prompt:

Help me think about the Circle of Safety in my workplace:
- What makes people feel safe or unsafe?
- Where are the sources of internal competition or threat?
- What do leaders do (or not do) that affects safety?
- What are small changes that could improve the circle?
- How do people behave when they feel safe vs. unsafe?

Signs of a Healthy Circle of Safety:

• People admit mistakes freely
• Ideas flow from anywhere
• Collaboration over competition
• Constructive conflict is normal
• People stay longer

Day 180 (Friday)

The Boomer Generation Effect:

• Post-war optimism → entitlement
• Career advancement → self-interest
• Short-term profits → long-term damage
• Shareholder value → employee expendability

Modern Leadership Paradox:

• Technology connects us but isolates us
• Social media gives “hits” of dopamine but not oxytocin
• More “friends” but less friendship
• Performance metrics but less humanity

Returning to Service:

• Leadership as service, not privilege
• Sacrifice for those in your charge
• Long-term relationships over short-term gains
• People are not resources; they are people

Day 181 (Saturday) - Lighter Day

Your Circle of Safety Exercise:

Think about a team or group you lead (or will lead):

1. What threats come from outside the circle?

   • ---

   • ---

2. What threats currently come from inside?

   • ---

   • ---

3. What would make people feel safer?

   • ---

   • ---

4. What sacrifice can you make for your team?

   • ---

5. How can you demonstrate that you “eat last”?

   • ---

Day 182 (Sunday) - Review + Transition

Leaders Eat Last Summary:

Transition to Next Week: You understand WHY (purpose) and HOW to create safety. Now learn what separates GOOD organizations from GREAT ones.

Week 26 Checkpoint

Before moving to Week 27, you should have:

• Watched “Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe”
• Read “Leaders Eat Last”
• Understood the E.D.S.O. framework
• Designed your Circle of Safety
• Created 10+ flashcards (cumulative)
• Obtained “Good to Great”

Week 27: Good to Great - Level 5 Leadership

Goal: Complete “Good to Great” + Understand Level 5 Leadership and the Hedgehog Concept

Day 183 (Monday)

The Core Question:

“Can a good company become a great company? If so, how?”

The Research:

• 5 years of research
• 11 companies that went from good to great (sustained superior performance)
• 1,435 years of combined corporate history analyzed
• 6,000 articles, 2,000 pages of interview transcripts

What They Found:

• Greatness is NOT a function of circumstance
• Greatness is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline
• The factors were surprisingly different from conventional wisdom

Good Companies That Became Great: Abbott, Circuit City, Fannie Mae, Gillette, Kimberly-Clark, Kroger, Nucor, Philip Morris, Pitney Bowes, Walgreens, Wells Fargo

Key Insight:

“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great.”

Day 184 (Tuesday)

Level 5 Hierarchy:

Level 5: Executive
         Builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical
         blend of personal HUMILITY and professional WILL
              ^
Level 4: Effective Leader
         Catalyzes commitment to a vigorous pursuit of a
         clear and compelling vision; stimulates higher performance
              ^
Level 3: Competent Manager
         Organizes people and resources toward effective
         and efficient pursuit of predetermined objectives
              ^
Level 2: Contributing Team Member
         Contributes individual capabilities to the
         achievement of group objectives
              ^
Level 1: Highly Capable Individual
         Makes productive contributions through talent,
         knowledge, skills, and good work habits

Level 5 = Humility + Will:

The “Window and the Mirror”:

• Success: Level 5 leaders look out the window to credit others and luck
• Failure: Level 5 leaders look in the mirror to take responsibility

Day 185 (Wednesday)

First Who, Then What:

“The executives who ignited the transformations from good to great did not first figure out where to drive the bus and then get people to take it there. They first got the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it.”

Why People Before Strategy:

1. If you have the right people, they’ll adapt to any direction
2. If you have the wrong people, direction doesn’t matter
3. The right people are self-motivated
4. Great vision with mediocre people = mediocre results

Right People = Character + Values:

• Skills can be taught; character cannot
• “We hire for character, train for skill”
• Values alignment > competency

Rigorous, Not Ruthless:

• Be rigorous in people decisions
• BUT be humane in how you treat people
• When in doubt, don’t hire
• When you know you need to make a change, act

Day 186 (Thursday)

Confront the Brutal Facts (Yet Never Lose Faith):

“You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, AND at the same time have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality.”

The Stockdale Paradox: Named after Admiral Jim Stockdale, POW for 8 years in Vietnam.

Creating a Climate for Truth:

1. Lead with questions, not answers
2. Engage in dialogue and debate, not coercion
3. Conduct autopsies without blame
4. Build “red flag” mechanisms (ways to hear bad news)

AI prompt:

Help me apply the Stockdale Paradox to a challenge I'm facing:
[Describe the challenge]

Questions to explore:
- What are the brutal facts I'm not confronting?
- What's my faith that I will prevail based on?
- Am I being unrealistically optimistic about timeline?
- What would Stockdale say about my situation?

Day 187 (Friday)

The Hedgehog vs. The Fox:

• Fox knows many things (scattered, diffused, complex)
• Hedgehog knows ONE big thing (focused, simple, unified)

The Hedgehog Concept:

Find the intersection of THREE circles:

           What can you be
           BEST IN THE WORLD at?
                   /\
                  /  \
                 /    \
                /  XX  \
               /  XXXX  \
              /  XXXXXX  \
             /  XXXXXXXX  \
            /      |       \
           /       |        \
          +-----------------+
         /         |          \
        /          |           \
What drives      What are you
your ECONOMIC    deeply
ENGINE?          PASSIONATE about?

Three Questions:

1. Passion: What are you deeply passionate about?
2. Best At: What can you be the best in the world at? (NOT what you want to be best at)
3. Economic Engine: What drives your economic engine? (What metric matters most?)

Your Hedgehog Concept:

1. Passion: _______________________
2. Best At: _______________________
3. Economic Engine: _______________________
4. The Intersection: _______________________

Day 188 (Saturday) - Lighter Day

Culture of Discipline:

• Disciplined PEOPLE who engage in disciplined THOUGHT and take disciplined ACTION
• Freedom AND responsibility within a framework
• Not a tyrant disciplining people, but people disciplining themselves

The Doom Loop vs. The Flywheel:

Doom Loop (Mediocre Companies):

• React to disappointment with new direction
• Never build momentum
• Lurch from strategy to strategy
• Looking for the “miracle moment”

Flywheel (Great Companies):

• Consistent pushing in one direction
• Momentum builds slowly
• No single defining moment
• Breakthrough comes from accumulated effort

     Push...
       |
       v
   +-------+
   |       |  <-- Each turn builds on the last
   |   O   |
   |       |
   +-------+
       |
       v
   More momentum...

Day 189 (Sunday) - Review + Transition

Good to Great Summary:

Self-Assessment: Are you a Level 5 Leader?

Week 27 Checkpoint

Before moving to Week 28, you should have:

• Read “Good to Great”
• Understood Level 5 Leadership
• Defined your Hedgehog Concept
• Applied the Stockdale Paradox
• Created 15+ flashcards (cumulative)
• Obtained “Dare to Lead”

Week 28: Dare to Lead + Multipliers + Phase 3A Completion

Goal: Complete “Dare to Lead” + Read “Multipliers” (optional) + Complete Phase 3A

Day 190 (Monday)

TED Talk: The Power of Vulnerability (60M+ views)

The Core Premise:

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up when you can’t control the outcome.”

Why Vulnerability in Leadership:

• Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change
• You can’t get to courage without walking through vulnerability
• Leaders who aren’t vulnerable can’t build trust

The Myths of Vulnerability:

Day 191 (Tuesday)

Skill 1: Rumbling with Vulnerability

“A rumble is a discussion, conversation, or meeting defined by a commitment to lean into vulnerability, stay curious and generous, stick with the messy middle, take a break and circle back when necessary, be fearless in owning our parts, and listen with the same passion with which we want to be heard.”

The SFD (Stormy First Draft):

• When something happens, we immediately create a story
• That first story is usually incomplete, defensive, or wrong
• Ask: “What’s the story I’m telling myself?”
• Then fact-check it

Example:

• Event: Boss doesn’t respond to my email
• SFD: “She’s angry at me, I’m going to get fired”
• Reality: She’s in meetings all day

Operationalizing Rumbling:

1. Set the intention: “Let’s rumble”
2. Ask: “What’s the story you’re telling yourself?”
3. Stay curious: “Help me understand”
4. Circle back when needed

Day 192 (Wednesday)

Skill 2: Living Into Our Values

“A value is a way of being or believing that we hold most important.”

The Two-Value Rule:

• You can have MANY values
• But you can only have 2 CORE values
• These are your North Stars, the hills you’ll die on

Steps:

1. Choose from a values list (search “Brene Brown values list”)
2. Narrow to your top 2
3. Define what each value MEANS to you
4. Identify behaviors that support each value
5. Identify behaviors that are in conflict

Your Core Values:

Day 193 (Thursday)

Skill 3: BRAVING Trust

Self-Trust (BRAVING with yourself):

• Do you keep boundaries with yourself?
• Are you reliable to yourself?
• Do you own your mistakes to yourself?
• Do you keep your own confidences?
• Do you practice integrity even when no one is watching?
• Do you ask for help without judging yourself?
• Are you generous with yourself?

Day 194 (Friday)

Skill 4: Learning to Rise

A process for getting back up after a fall:

1. The Reckoning - Recognize you’re hooked by emotion

   • Notice physical sensations
   • Get curious about the feeling
   • Name the emotion

2. The Rumble - Get curious about your story

   • Write your SFD (Stormy First Draft)
   • Reality-check it
   • What do I need to own?

3. The Revolution - Write a new ending

   • Integrate what you learned
   • Transform how you engage

AI prompt:

I had a difficult situation that I'm processing:
[Describe the situation]

Help me work through the "Learning to Rise" process:
1. What emotions am I feeling? (The Reckoning)
2. What's the story I'm telling myself? What might be incomplete about it? (The Rumble)
3. What can I learn from this? What's a new ending? (The Revolution)

Day 195 (Saturday) - Review Day

Dare to Lead Summary:

Armor vs. Daring Leadership:

Optional: Multipliers Introduction

If you have time, “Multipliers” by Liz Wiseman explores why some leaders double people’s capabilities while others cut them in half.

The Core Question:

“Why do some leaders drain capability and intelligence from their teams while others amplify it?”

Multipliers vs. Diminishers:

The Multiplier Effect:

• Multipliers get 2x the capability from their teams
• They access 95% of people’s intelligence
• Diminishers access only 50%

Day 196 (Sunday) - Phase 3A Completion

Phase 3A Reflection Questions

Complete these before moving to Phase 3B:

1. What is your WHY?

   “I believe that _________________ so that _________________”

2. Using the Hedgehog Concept, define your intersection:

   • What are you deeply passionate about? _________________
   • What could you be best at? _________________
   • What drives your economic engine? _________________

3. Rate yourself on Level 5 Leadership characteristics (1-10):

   • Personal humility: ___
   • Professional will: ___
   • Window and mirror: ___
   • Overall: ___

4. How healthy is your Circle of Safety?

   • What creates safety? _________________
   • What creates fear? _________________
   • What can you change? _________________

5. What are your 2 core values?

   • Value 1: _________________
   • Value 2: _________________
   • How will you operationalize them? _________________

6. Multiplier or Diminisher self-assessment:

   • Where do you multiply others? _________________
   • Where might you accidentally diminish? _________________

Week 28 Checkpoint

After Week 28, you should have:

• Watched Brene Brown’s TED Talk
• Read “Dare to Lead”
• Identified your 2 core values
• Understood BRAVING trust
• Read “Multipliers” (optional)
• Created 20+ flashcards (Phase 3A total)
• Completed Phase 3A reflection questions
• Updated PROGRESS_TRACKER.md

Month 7 Complete!

What You’ve Accomplished

Phase 3A (Weeks 25-28):

• “Start With Why” - Simon Sinek (Golden Circle, finding your purpose)
• “Leaders Eat Last” - Simon Sinek (Circle of Safety, E.D.S.O.)
• “Good to Great” - Jim Collins (Level 5 Leadership, Hedgehog Concept)
• “Dare to Lead” - Brene Brown (Vulnerability, Values, BRAVING Trust)
• “Multipliers” - Liz Wiseman (optional)
• TED Talks (Sinek, Brown)
• 20+ flashcards
• WHY statement drafted
• Core values identified
• Hedgehog Concept defined

Time Invested

• Month 7 Total: ~35-40 hours
• Daily average: ~55 minutes
• Running total: ~205-225 hours

You Now Understand:

• Why purpose (WHY) inspires action more than features (WHAT)
• How to create psychological safety through the Circle of Safety
• What separates good organizations from great ones (Level 5, Hedgehog, Flywheel)
• How to lead with vulnerability as strength
• The biology of trust (E.D.S.O.)
• How to be a Multiplier, not a Diminisher

Next Steps: Phase 3B Preview

Phase 3B: People & Operations

You’ve learned leadership philosophy. Now learn the day-to-day skills of managing people and operations.

Key insight: Phase 3A gave you leadership mindset. Phase 3B gives you management tools - the practical skills to develop people, build culture, and drive operations.

Continue to Phase 3B: People & Operations

Troubleshooting

“I’m behind schedule”

This is completely normal! Options:

1. Prioritize: If you can only read 2 books: “Start With Why” + “Good to Great”
2. Audiobooks: Start With Why (5h) and Dare to Lead (8h) are excellent on audio
3. Extend: Take 5-6 weeks instead of 4
4. TED Talks: Both Sinek’s and Brown’s talks cover core ideas

“These books feel philosophical, not practical”

• Leadership IS philosophy - your beliefs shape your actions
• Phase 3B will give you more tactical tools
• Apply one concept this week to test it
• The best leaders combine philosophy with practice

“I don’t have a team to lead”

• Leadership isn’t positional - you can lead from anywhere
• Apply these concepts to:
  • Family (you’re leading your child’s development)
  • Community groups
  • Informal influence at work
  • Self-leadership

“Vulnerability feels risky at work”

• Start small - share a mistake you made and what you learned
• Model it first before expecting it from others
• Create psychological safety before asking for vulnerability
• It IS risky - that’s why it takes courage

Quick Reference Card

Daily Routine (30-45 min)

1. Flashcard review (5 min)
2. Main reading (25-35 min)
3. Reflection note (5 min)

Weekly Routine

• Monday-Friday: Main reading
• Saturday: Lighter reading + video content
• Sunday: Review + reflection

The Golden Circle

• WHY - Purpose, cause, belief
• HOW - Process, differentiating values
• WHAT - Products, services, results

Level 5 Leadership

• Personal humility + Professional will
• Window (credit others) + Mirror (blame self)
• Builds enduring greatness, not personal fame

Hedgehog Concept

• What can you be BEST at?
• What are you PASSIONATE about?
• What drives your ECONOMIC ENGINE?

BRAVING Trust

• Boundaries, Reliability, Accountability
• Vault, Integrity, Non-judgment, Generosity

E.D.S.O.

• Endorphins + Dopamine = Individual (selfish)
• Serotonin + Oxytocin = Group (selfless)
• Great leaders create S+O environments

Seven months complete. You understand yourself (Phase 1), what motivates and influences people (Phase 2), and now you know how to lead with purpose, create safety, and inspire greatness. Phase 3B teaches you the practical day-to-day of managing people and operations.

Continue to Phase 3B: People & Operations

Previous: Month 6 Schedule | Next: Months 8-9 Schedule