Work on the MOST important thing first!

What’s the top priority in your business to make tomorrow better?  

You better know it!

Work on that first and give it most of your time.

So what are you doing today?

Who are you accountable to?

The problem with being the girl or guy at the top, is that you don’t have to answer to anyone.  You can’t be fired and nobody is going to say “you suck at your job” when you suck at your job (although anyone can look around and usually determine that quite easily).

Having someone that you talk to that coaches you or that you are reporting back to that challenges you and keeps you on track is a good idea.  Left unchecked, you can get off track by yourself.

Who is it for you?

Do you need to find someone?

How are your habits hurting you?

As a leader, you have your “style”, and the way you go about your day.  We like habits.  It makes it easier to do things with less energy and we know the outcome.  

But our habits have been employed in this most important leadership job for some time now, and we need new and even better results.

How are your old habits of thinking and acting holding on to the old, and holding you back from the new?

There's two sides to a story (at least)…

Many leaders like me have a bias for action.   When something is wrong we want to fix it right away.  Like – NOW.

But there are two sides to a story, and maybe three or five or ten…

I used to act on one side of a story.  I guess I was blind to how people see things differently or can purposely twist a story in their favor (or to discredit someone they don’t like).  If I acted, then I’d get the other side of the sotry AFTER I acted, I’d feel stupid.  I jumped too soon.

I’m better now.  I remember those embarrassing situations and I pause before acting to ask more questions and interview more people.

When you hear (bad) news in your company, what do you do?

Do you have the right information to make decisions?

Making a decision takes seconds.  

Knowing what decision to make takes 100 times longer.  

Do you have the right information to understand what is going on to make the right decision?

You may be getting the same reports and financials every month.  Dig deeper once in a while.  Ask for other information and metrics – especially on the thing that is most important to your business right now.

To set things right you have to see things right.  

Nobody else can do the leadership job.

If you are the leader, you must do what a leader needs to do – because nobody else will or can.

Only you have the power to make the calls necessary that will determine the future of your organization.

Stop doing things you can delegate or empower others to do, and do well what only you can.

Make time to think

When you are sitting down quietly with a fresh sheet of paper, a pen, and your calendar, (or your financials, a journal), and you are rising above it, and zooming into it, understanding what is really going on and prioritizing what to do next, you are doing the most important leadership work of all.

Make time for it.

Knowledge of lasting value

Some people learn things that will be obsolete or of little value tomorrow.

Suppose I spent lots of time learning a piece of software that nobody may use tomorrow.

Or if I spent lots of time mastering a video game or on fantasy football.

Chose things that will be of value today and 10-20 years from now.  Learn things where the value compounds over time when you learn more things surrounding it.

If you are smart in the right things, your discernment and judgement will help you do the right things, and be of great value.

Do you have "forever people"?

“If you can’t see yourself working with someone for life, don’t work with them for a day.” – Naval Ravikant

While that may be a bit pie in the sky for some businesses that provide simple entry-level jobs, it is a great idea to ponder and consider.

Those who field the best teams win.

Be the kind of person others want to work for.

Whether you are a leader or a manager, work on you and how you are showing up to your employees.

Be fair, kind, ambitious, helpful, trustworthy, consistent, challenge them, appreciate them, train them, invest in them, trust them, loyal to them, give credit to them, and smile.

Leadership is the critical variable in any business.

You’re it!