He needs to flip his mental mode to thinking in terms of becoming a trim tab instead of the rudder. What small sources of influence might he be able to develop and control that could change his level of effectiveness? For instance, maybe he could contribute to the company newsletter, become a union rep, or help with the boss’ pet project. The point is that small changes can have big impacts.

A couple of weeks  ago we talked about Southwest Airlines and its reputation as a different kind of organization. When you talk to the average Southwest customer the conversation typically moves to a discussion of that “something different” about Southwest employees, whether you’re at the boarding gates or on the airplane. When pressed the customer invariably says, “it’s about the culture of the organization,” or “it seems to be a good place to work.” I [...]