There are certain traits that can be attributed to almost all highly successful leaders ― intelligence, intellectual curiosity, ambition, discipline, but do they operate in day-to-day, the same way? It would be hard to imagine they have similar MOs but an article in Forbes shows they share many, very specific, ways of managing the volume and variety of their tasks and responsibilities.
Here are some tricks of the trade the author obtained from successful leaders as diverse as Mark Cuban, Richard Branson, and Warren Buffet.
Focus on minutes, not hours. The nature of many office calendars and schedules makes us divide time into hours, maybe half-hours, but rarely minutes. Thinking of time as 1,440 minutes in a day provides us with more opportunities and makes it less likely we’ll waste minutes while waiting for the next hour’s appointment. Highly successful leaders appreciate minutes. When you think about a 10-minute walk around the block to clear your mind, it seems minuscule, yet so productive.
Coupled with this is the discipline of…
Schedule everything. That’s right, everything. Not just when the activity involves another. Doing so acknowledges the importance of eating regularly, sleeping enough, setting time aside to think and exercise. It respects all aspects of your day. This does not mean non-stop work but a chance to allow yourself to have a full, diverse, and productive one. The people I know who get the most done, book themselves. Try it ― you will be amazed how much time you have.
Also, highly successful leaders…
Delegate almost everything. Many people see doing everything as a badge of honor and proof they are not “above” anything. They are baking cakes for school events, getting on a million committees, cleaning the clean, and so on. It’s not efficient and totally unnecessary. Once you admit someone else can probably do most things better than you, it becomes easier to let them and allows you to concentrate on what is important.
There is a fiscal reality to all of this as well. Are you performing tasks that are way below your pay level? Would you pay someone $50 an hour to do this when there are more junior people ready, willing, and able to take on the project? Delegating takes discipline, an ability to loosen control, and a willingness to tame your ego.
I use the delete, delegate, do, philosophy about most things. Should anyone do it? Who else could do it? Okay, I am the best person for the job, I’ll do it. To read more, go to my article, “Increasing Productivity by Doing Less.”
Another discipline many highly successful people possess is…
Having a morning routine. That’s right. They get up at a certain time, exercise, eat, envision their day, and anticipate the successes they will have as well as the hurdles they will need to clear. A decent number of them meditate when they wake or listen to inspirational and stimulating podcasts. Their entire routine preps them for what is ahead, and their minds and bodies are nourished going into the challenges. It gives them the competitive edge.
Highly successful leaders have many attributes. They also are disciplined in the way the prepare, control, and do their work and run their lives. There is much to learn from them.
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