10 POWERFUL LESSONS FROM THE BOOK "SURROUNDED BY IDIOTS"

1. Surrounded by idiots aims to help you get past the mentality of assuming you're surrounded by idiots.

2. You understand people better when you understand the language of behavior.

The author's method is the DISA model.

• Dominance

• Inducement

• Submission

• Analytical

Each explains a primary type of behavior.

3. When you communicate the listener filters it into a message they can understand.

Rarely, is this message what you meant to communicate.

4. Adapt your communication based on the behavior type of the listener.

Communicate on their terms, with language familiar to them.

5. The only times it's effective to communicate without adapting is when you're alone or in a room with people just like you.

Otherwise, consider the other person's behavior.

6. The best teams have a blend of every behavioral type. Which allows them to make the most of everyone's strengths while minimizing weaknesses.

7. Certain combinations of behavioral types collaborate more effectively.

For example, introverts prefer to work with one another.

8. If you're not sure what behavioral type you're working with, listen for a while.

Pay attention to what they like to talk about to figure their style out.

9. Each behavioral type gets stressed and responds to stress differently.

For example, dominant types get stressed when you take their authority away.

They respond by working harder or finding a scapegoat to blame.

10. Each behavioral type responds to feedback differently.

A submissive person doesn't take well to personal feedback, keep it to the facts to prevent defensiveness.

Work on your Mental Models:

- think better

- think in new ways

- master skills to breakthrough

Understand new skills to make wiser choices and take better actions.