Instructor Resource
Neck, Self-Leadership, 2e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Case Notes
Chapter 8: Individual Differences, Diversity, and Practical Applications:
Multiple Paths to Uniqueness
John Johnson and Ebony Magazine
Learning Objectives
1. Explain the concept of individual differences.
2. Compare the relationships between various personality concepts and self-leadership.
3. Discuss the relationships among age, gender, cultural differences, and self-leadership.
Case Summary
A grandson of slaves, John Johnson was born in 1918 to a poor African American family in
Arkansas. There were no African American high schools in Arkansas in the 1930s. Fortunately
for Johnson, his mother moved her family to Chicago, where John was able to attend high
school. He was a successful student in Chicago and eventually became class president and editor
of the school paper. These successes led to John earning a scholarship to the University of
Chicago and getting a job at Supreme Liberty Life Insurance.
Case Analysis
When John Johnson was born in 1918, a great deal of racial prejudice existed in America, which
negatively impacted the majority of the African American community. Aside from this
challenge, Johnson did not have a lot of money to start up a new business.
Despite these difficult external realities, Johnson had a good idea he was determined to cultivate.
By utilizing positive thought self-leadership techniques, including positive affirmations, he was
Instructor Resource
Neck, Self-Leadership, 2e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Sample Answers to Case Questions
Please include the questions along with the sample answers.
Question 1. How would you compare the psychological world that John Johnson created for
himself to the “reality” of the world around him in the 1940s?
Sample Answer: Many people thought John was foolish to try and succeed despite facing so
many external difficulties. By choosing his own mental world that was focused on what he could
Question 2. In what ways did positive thinking impact Johnson’s life?
Sample Answer: It made all the difference by impacting his actions, which, in-turn, led to a
better life for him, his family, and the African American community at-large.
Question 3. What specific self-leadership strategies did Johnson use to help him achieve his
objectives?
Sample Answer: He strategically chose to specifically direct his thoughts instead of allowing
Question 4. How does Johnson’s life reflect the phrase “You can’t control the wind, but you can
certainly adjust the sails?”
Sample Answer: There were many external realities beyond John Johnson’s control. By focusing
his time, attention, thoughts, and actions on what he could control, rather than on what he