Personal growth and development as a leader doesn’t always involve heavy lifting or demanding work. Here are fifteen easy things you can do right away to improve your performance and results:
- Go to bed 30 minutes earlier than is typical and stick to a regular bedtime; sleep matters
- Make a conscious effort to eat healthier and always have a nutritious breakfast; the fuel you put in your body makes an enormous difference
- Exercise 20-30 minutes per day including stretching; healthier body = healthier mind
- Smile more often and greet people with enthusiasm; people want to feel liked and are attracted to positive energy
- Say ‘please” and ‘thank you;” courtesy is always better than the alternative
- Ask more questions and give fewer lectures; you don’t have all the answers and people want to feel listened to
- When in doubt delegate; trust that other people can get the job done and if they stumble treat it as a learning experience
- Only check your email 3x per day at set times during the day and leave a message letting people know this; don’t become an email junkie
- Clearly define success and manage to 5-7 Key Performance Indicators; stay focused on the metrics that matter most
- Use a “to-do” list to manage your time every day; strive to always focus on your top 5 priority action items
- Schedule daily blocks of undisturbed thinking time and if necessary, do this out of the office; don’t get bogged down in hyper-activity
- Meet or have a phone conversation with at least one client per week; don’t get too distant from your customers
- Have weekly 1-1 meetings with your direct reports and meet with your management team bi-weekly; keep everyone on the same page and coach them accordingly
- Read for personal growth or professional development at least 15-20 minutes per day; keep your brain sharp
- Keep a professional diary and journal for 5-10 minutes each night; regularly debrief on your day and how it went
This list may seem overwhelming, but it is not. Start with a few items and then add others as you make progress. I guarantee you that the more of these items you embrace, the better your results as a leader will become.
Related Articles:
- 10 Ways To Ensure Your Business Success as a Leader (capacity-building.com)
- Eight Questions Leaders Should Be Asking All of the Time (capacity-building.com)
- Five Traits That Separate the Best Leaders from the Pack (capacity-building.com)