Chris McClure

***This article is inspired by chapter 2 of John C. Maxwell’s book
“Developing the Leader Within You 2.0” – “The Key to Leadership: Priorities”***

Jamie Cornell stated, “Time cannot and will not be managed, and you will never get more of it. The problem is rooted in the choices you are making with others and your own choices. You choose how to use it every moment of every day, whether you believe you do or not.”

The reality is that the farther you go in your leadership journey, the more decisions you will have to make. Many people are suffering from “decision fatigue” in our culture. We have thousands of bits of information coming at us daily. On top of that, your followers are needing or wanting your input. Many times, they want you to decide on matters that they can and should decide themselves.

If you don’t prioritize your life, others will force their priorities onto you. That’s no way to live or lead. One of my favorite books on the topic of prioritization is Essentialism by Greg McKeown. The key idea in the book is “less but better.” McKeown shares that the word “priority” came about in the 1400s and was singular until around the 1900s when inventions became more automated and complex. Over the last 100+ years we have embraced the idea of having multiple priorities. However, when you have many priorities, no one thing truly is your priority.

So, how do you navigate this complex world full of information and decision-making? Consider the following:

1 – Determine to do what only you can do

The first step is to block out time and write down matters most for your role and skill set. What are the items that only you can or should do? The list is actually much shorter than you think.

2 – Delegate tasks that others can do

Make a list of your tasks, then consider who can do them at least 75% as well as you can. Next, meet with the people with whom you will delegate and assign them the appropriate tasks. If they need training, invest the time to do so. You will probably be surprised at how quickly others can accomplish what you’ve been holding onto for far too long.

3 – Dump the tasks that are not advancing your business or cause

There are a variety of tasks that we continually do simply because we’ve been doing them for a long time. Schedule time each quarter to review your tasks to see if they even matter any longer. Change occurs at a rapid pace. Some items that were important for you in the recent past no longer matter today. Have the courage to dump those items. One powerful exercise is to create a “stop doing” list. What you stop doing is often as important as what you continue to do.

Prioritization is simple, but not easy. You may have to overcome limiting beliefs, fears, and doubts to cut items out of your workload. As a leader, you must continually remind yourself that busyness doesn’t equal productivity. Your followers need you to continually filter what matters most, remove what isn’t working, and invest more in what is generating the best results. When you do this, you will begin to see improved effectiveness in both yourself and your followers.

Take your next step in leadership growth by becoming a master or prioritization.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

***If you need help developing a personal growth plan or implementing a leadership development program for your team, please contact me. I’d love to talk with you to determine how I can help!

***This article is inspired by chapter 1 of John C. Maxwell’s book
“Developing the Leader Within You 2.0” – “The Definition of Leadership: Influence”***

John C. Maxwell gives the following definition for “The Law of Influence” – “The true measure of leadership is influence; nothing more, nothing less.”

The bottom line is that if you aren’t influencing people, you aren’t leading them. The reality is that we all influence someone, even if it’s just one person. The challenge is that we don’t always know who or how much we influence others.

When I was a youth pastor many years ago, I had a group of middle school and high school boys who I felt never listened to what I had to say. They were always being mischevious and stirring up trouble within our youth group. They would drive me crazy! I had other youth leaders wanting to quit because of them or wanting me to “fix” them so they would behave. I literally felt like I just had to survive until they graduated. However, something shifted in their late high school years and I began to notice that they were maturing and engaging on a different level. I made the intentional effort to do things with them outside of normal youth group meetings to build relationships and connect at a different level. To make a long story short, I learned how to influence them. These boys are now young men who are working in their careers, getting married, and starting families. We stay connected through social media and text messages. I am privileged to call them friends now. At the time, I had no idea that I was influencing them, but by staying the course, I was able to see the results of the investment.

Sometimes you feel like you’re banging your head against a wall with those you are seeking to lead. My encouragement to you is to stay the course. As a leader, the best investment in tomorrow is to develop your influence today.

Look for potential in your people and help them develop it.

Build relationships.

Push through their apathy.

Take ownership and responsibility to be a leader despite how others respond.

Begin increasing your influence by focusing your attention with only a limited number of people at first. Look around. Who do you believe you can best develop over the next 1-3 years? Start with them.

Leadership is hard work. To become the leader that people need, you must invest in yourself and commit to the long game of developing people. Some will engage and respond quicker than others. While you can’t control the speed of their growth, you can do your part of investing in them little by little, day by day. Continually grow and develop yourself into a leader worth following.

You can do this.

I believe in you.

Until next time, make today GREAT!

***If you need help developing a personal growth plan or implementing a leadership development program for your team, please contact me. I’d love to talk with you to determine how I can help!

It is almost the end of another year. Christmas has passed once again. We’re in the gap between the holidays. It can feel like a strange time of year. Many of us wrestle with the “Christmas hangover.” We feel disoriented on what day it is and what just happened amidst the frenzy of parties and other holiday events. We often need to detox from all the delicious, but unhealthy foods we’ve eaten. Because of this, we can miss a golden opportunity we have each year to reflect on the past 12 months and look ahead to the future.

Many people want each new year to be different, but they don’t do anything different to achieve that. For many, life is a continual repeat of the same things. Yes, time marches on. We get older. But do we become better, wiser, and more prosperous in all aspects of life?

So, what can we do right now in the final days of this year in order to prepare for an amazing new year?

1 – Reflect

First, do a personal year-end review of your life. Some people do this by reviewing the details of their calendars. Others review their journal entries. I do a combination of things. I enjoy sitting in the quiet of my home office and ask God to remind me of what He has done and taught me over the past year. Whatever works for you, be intentional in reviewing the year that is concluding. If you don’t know where you’re coming from, you will be at a disadvantage in moving forward.

2 – Dream

After you have reflected on the past, get in a quiet place to pray and think. Dream about what the next year can bring. Ask God to reveal to you His plans for your next 12 months. Vision is critical to growth. John Maxwell wrote this in his commentary on Isaiah 4 in The Maxwell Leadership Bible – “A strong God-given vision drove all the worthwhile accomplishments recorded in the Bible.” Without vision, we find ourselves wandering aimlessly. With a clear vision, we can take intentional action steps toward achieving it. Don’t overlook the power of dreaming. It is what leads to the world’s greatest achievements.

3 – Define

Once you have a clear vision, define the action steps that are required to achieve it. Break them into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily actions. A great resource to go farther faster is The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran. He teaches how to make each quarter of the year an intentional action plan by viewing it as if each one were a year in itself. Defining clear action steps will help you make significant progress while others wander in various directions hoping to stumble on success.

4 – Advance

Having a vision and action steps is vital, but you now must decide to move forward. This takes courage. While many people say they want their lives to be different, they are afraid to take action because it will require them to become better, stronger, and different. It is impossible to advance forward without becoming a better version of yourself. It has been said, “What got you here won’t get you there.” God uses vision to stretch us and shape us into who He created us to be. It takes courage to get on the potter’s wheel and be reshaped into a better version of yourself.

5 – Document

Writing down your journey in the coming year will help you reflect this time next year. Whether you document electronically or with paper and pen doesn’t matter. Choose your best method and do it. Write down key activities and results. Write down significant interactions. Write out your prayers. Write down what you did each day so you can begin to see trends that hinder or benefit you. Your journal will become your personal history book that allows you to reflect but also gives your descendants a glimpse into your life so they can learn and grow as well.

The next year can be better than this year. Even if you’ve had a fantastic year, it can be better! If it’s been difficult, you want it to be better! But next year will be no different than this year if you simply go through the motions. If you only allow outside factors to influence your life, you’ll be blown around like a ship on the sea without a clear destination. You will end up somewhere, but will it be where you want to go? Take the above action steps and see what God will do in, for, with, and through you in the new year!

Until next time, make today GREAT!

P.S. If you need help developing a personal growth plan or implementing a leadership development program for your team, please contact me. I’d love to talk with you to determine how I can help!

**This article is inspired by chapter 19 of John C. Maxwell’s book Leadership Gold –
“Be a Connector, Not a Climber”***

There are a variety of leadership styles and throughout history, different styles have been needed for different reasons. However, as people think of the leaders they value most, there are some specific differences.

For instance, Hitler was a leader, but look at the damage he did by trying to exterminate the Jews and take over the world with his Nazi philosophy. Consider the leaders of the Enron corporation. They held leadership positions, but abused their power and damaged thousands of lives due to their corruption. I’m sure you can name countless others who had the position, title, and power but used it improperly and hurt many people. These people were focused on climbing to the top of the success ladder at all costs.

Then there are leaders who have often been unsung heroes. They quietly served their people and looked out for everyone’s best interest as much as they could. They were about developing their followers and helping them grow to achieve their potential. These leaders were focused on connecting with their people and helping others succeed, even if that meant they surpassed them.

So, how do you becoming a connecting leader versus a climbing leader? Consider the following 6 characteristics of connectors:

1 – Connectors Think Horizontal

While climbers are keeping score of who is winning and losing, connectors are focusing on taking people on a journey that leads to success for the team. Look around you. How can you help your people go farther faster? How can you help others succeed individually so the team or organization ultimately wins?

2 – Connectors Focus on Relationships

While climbers are focused on climbing their own success ladder, connectors are focused on building bridges. They see the value in each person they are leading. They don’t see them as cogs in a machine, but rather as valuable human beings who can add value to the organization through their skills, abilities, and insights. Think about your followers. How well do you know them? Are you fully aware of who they are and what value they can add to the team, even if it isn’t specific to their job description?

3 – Connectors Value Cooperation

Climbers seek to win at all costs while connectors see working together as a win. Of course, the goal is for the team to win, not just have a fun time together while losing. No one enjoys being on a losing team, even if they like the people with whom they are losing. However, climbers are the people who may be on a team but act as if they are the only person who matters. As a leader, be a champion for cooperation. Make it a high priority and address selfish individuals quickly who can damage the team chemistry.

4 – Connectors Seek Partnerships

Climbers want the power to climb faster and reach the top quickly. Connectors seek to create a high-powered team through building partnerships with talented team members who complement one another. Climbers get to the top and say “Look what I did.” Connectors get to the top and say “Look what WE did!” For climbers, it’s lonely at the top. For connectors, it’s a celebration with the team when the goal is achieved. Look around and determine who can be a valuable partner to achieve team or organizational goals together.

5 – Connectors Build Consensus

Climbers are often concerned with their own image. They want to receive all the credit. Connectors are more concerned with getting everyone on the same page so they can work together. They work tirelessly to blend various ideas and opinions into an agreed-upon way forward. They recognize that consensus doesn’t mean everyone gets their way, but rather they leave the meeting on the same page and focused on moving forward together as one unit. Do the hard work of hearing each perspective and helping each person hear from others as well. Then, find common ground so the team can confidently move forward.

6 – Connectors Want to Stand Together

Climbers want to distinguish themselves from everyone in the organization. They want to be the hero. This often makes them relationally challenged. Connectors find ways to get closer to other people and find common ground. They are relational leaders who care about others’ success just as much as they care about their own. They often prefer team sports versus individual sports. While you can be successful on your own, it is rare that anything of significance is achieved alone. Even the most successful people in the world have a team of support. Whether they acknowledge it or not is determined by whether they are climbers or connectors.

As you can see, you have a choice to make. Will you be a “climbing leader” who is focused on your own individual advancement or will you be a “connecting leader” who is focused on gathering a team of talented people who go on the journey toward success and significance? Success feels good for a moment but quickly fades. Significance often takes more work and is slower, but it lasts for a lifetime.

The choice is yours.

Choose wisely.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

***If you need help developing a personal growth plan or implementing a leadership development program for your team, please contact me. I’d love to talk with you to determine how I can help!

***This article is inspired by chapter 16 of John C. Maxwell’s book Leadership Gold –
“People Quit People, Not Companies”***

Turnover is inevitable in any organization, but WHY people leave matters.

There are times when people leave for better opportunities that your organization cannot offer them.

There are times when people simply need a change of scenery because they’ve become stale.

There are various healthy reasons for people to move on.

Then there are reasons that are related to the leaders, which could be prevented.

Some sources estimate that as many as 65% of people leaving companies do so because of their managers. Ouch!

So, what are the characteristics of leaders that cause people to stop following them? Consider the following four:

1 – People quit people who devalue them

No matter what type of job people have, they want to feel valued. In general, people connect their self-worth in what they do for a living. People want to take pride in their work. They want to do a good job. They want to hear that they are being successful.

Leaders who devalue their followers quickly lose them. When a leader treats a follower as an object instead of a human being who has emotions, they break the connection. When a connection is lost, it is easy for the follower to look for “greener pastures.”

Show your people that you value them by the words you speak to them and about them. Address problems privately, but praise them publicly. Be their cheerleader. Help them succeed. This shows them that they matter and that you value them.

2 – People quit people who are untrustworthy

Trust is the foundation of leadership. When people trust their leader, they will follow them a great distance. When trust is broken, followers quickly look for someone else to follow. Trust is a component of integrity that leaders cannot afford to lose.

Trust takes time to build but can be lost in a moment. Leaders must guard their trustworthiness with their lives. We all have bad days. We say and do things we regret. While this breaks trust sometimes, apologizing and owning your error can often correct the problem. However, apologies must be sincere.

Make it your goal to be the kind of leader that your people can depend on. Make “trustworthy” one of your highest core values. It will take you far in your leadership.

3 – People quit people who are incompetent

People will initially follow “nice” people, but if you prove that you are not competent and don’t belong in a leadership role, you will lose followers eventually. When followers feel they have to work around their leaders, they will often look for a better person to follow elsewhere.

While leaders must recruit talented specialists around them, they must also prove to be competent in their leadership roles. You do not have to be an expert in what your team members are, but you must show them that you can lead well. Leaders shouldn’t be the smartest people in the room; rather, they should gather the smartest people together. This is a leadership skill.

Just as you expect your specialists to be great at their jobs, you must become great as a leader. Invest in yourself. Read personal growth books, go to conferences, listen to podcasts, hire a coach. Invest in yourself so you have plenty to give your followers. When they see you grow as a leader, it will inspire them to grow in their roles.

4 – People quit people who are insecure

Insecurity masks itself in a variety of ways. One way that has taken me by surprise the most is when a leader appears to be overly confident. When someone is trying to be impressive, watch out. Leadership is difficult. There’s no doubt about it. However, beware of your insecurities and how you try to cover them up.

Everyone is insecure in some way, but be honest about it. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Don’t overcompensate by puffing up your chest and being over-the-top in your approach. Be real and authentic. Followers realize no leader is perfect. Own your shortcomings and delegate for the sake of the team.

Instead of trying to mask your insecurities, build a team around you that can complement your skills. You cannot pretend for very long before being found out. Be on guard against your insecurities or else they will become a factor that pushes people away.

People desire to follow strong leaders, not perfect ones. If you will guard against these four negative characteristics of leadership, you can go far. If you fall into any one of these traps, prepare to lose followers and your leadership credibility.

You can be the type of leader that others want to go the distance with, but it will take intentional effort, humility, and authenticity.

You can do this.

I believe in you.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

***If you need help developing a personal growth plan or implementing a leadership development program for your team, please contact me. I’d love to talk with you to determine how I can help!

***This article is inspired by chapter 9 of John C. Maxwell’s book Leadership Gold –
“To See How the Leader Is Doing, Look at the People.”***

Author Max Depree once said, “The signs of outstanding leadership appear primarily among the followers.”

That is really good news for you if your followers are doing well. However, if you are frustrated with the performance and quality of your team members, the first place to look is in the mirror.

It is very easy in the hectic pace of day-to-day work to neglect developing your people into high-quality leaders that will help your organization grow and advance. However, don’t let busyness be an excuse. In our generation, busyness is something that must be navigated. There’s always more to do. As leaders, we must become highly intentional with our time.

One key effort must be developing your people. If you want to have a high-quality organization, you must have high-quality people. You’ll only go as far as your team members will take you and they’ll only go as far as their leader(s) will take them.

In order to assess the state of your followers, ask the following four questions:

1 – Are the people following?

John Maxwell says it this way – “All leaders have two common characteristics; first, they are going somewhere; second, they are able to persuade other people to go with them.”

Are your people truly following you or are they simply going through the motions of doing their jobs?

Have you given them a clear vision of where you are heading so they can follow you toward that goal or vision?

Clarence Francis said, “You can buy a man’s time; you can buy his physical presence at a given place; you can buy a measured number of his skilled muscular motions per hour. But you can not buy enthusiasm…you can not buy loyalty..you can not buy the devotion of hearts, minds or souls. You must earn these.”

If you are going to grow and advance your organization to the level you desire, you must give your people a reason to follow you. Become the leader with whom they want to go after a big vision.

2 – Are the people changing?

Progress doesn’t occur without change. Change is often difficult. Most people hate change until it produces a result that they like or benefits them.

In order to see change occur in your organization, you must become a change agent. You can’t force anyone to change. You must give a clear vision, inspire your followers to go after the vision with you, and equip them for the task. People need a guide to lead them to and through the change process.

Commit to being an agent of change by helping your people understand WHY change is needed and HOW it can happen in a way that everyone wins.

3 – Are the people growing?

Dale Galloway said, “The growth and development of people is the highest calling of a leader.”

As a leader, your job is much like a gardener. You must consistently nurture your followers, pull weeds of weaknesses, fertilize their growth, and make sure the soil that they are planted in is healthy. If a plant or crop is left unattended, it will not produce its full potential.

If your people are the same today as they were a year ago, something must be corrected if you want different results. Too many leaders allow busyness to squeeze out their development time with their followers. Helping your team members grow should have a consistent designated place in your calendar.

If your people aren’t growing, it’s often a reflection of your lack of intentional effort. People must want to grow, but leaders must make it a non-negotiable and then facilitate the process. Invest the time to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your followers, then help them develop a growth plan that they can be held accountable to implement with your guidance.

4 – Are the people succeeding?

Success can be defined in a variety of ways for any organization. However, if your followers aren’t producing desired results, they are not succeeding.

Do they know what success looks like in their roles? Is it clear to them? Are they held accountable to achieve those results? Have they been equipped to be successful?

Many leaders expect specific results from their followers, yet never clearly communicate their expectations. It is unfair to your followers to expect something from them without them understanding what those expectations are.

Your followers want to succeed. Success is an internal motivator. When they are succeeding, they will have more energy, enthusiasm, and focus. When they are struggling, their production will go down and their motivation will diminish.

The success of individuals, teams, departments, and the overall organization is the leader’s responsibility. Think of this from a sports analogy – if a team struggles to win, who is fired – the coach or the players? Most often, it’s the coach! Yes, players must take responsibility for their performance, but it’s the coaching staff’s job to get the most out of those players. If your team is not performing at an optimal level, it’s time to take a hard look in the mirror and ask the following questions:

“What am I not doing that is holding our people back?”

“What can I do differently to help the team win?”

Leadership is not for the weak. Leaders must assume responsibility for their followers’ success.

Refuse to expect more out of your followers than you do from yourself. Refuse to expect from your followers what you have not equipped them to do.

Choose right now to be (or become) the leader that your people need so they can produce the results that you want for your organization.

You can become that kind of leader.

I believe in you.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

***If you need help developing a personal growth plan or implementing a leadership development program for your team, please contact me. I’d love to talk with you to determine how I can help!

***This article is inspired by chapter 6 of John C. Maxwell’s book Leadership Gold –
“The Best Leaders Are Listeners.”***

“Can you hear me now?”

This question became very popular with Verizon mobile phone commercials several years ago. It was a simple question that many of us ask when we’re in a spotty signal zone. Verizon capitalized on it to promote its expanding coverage.

Beyond a funny commercial, this is a question that followers are asking of their leaders regularly. Most of the time it’s internal, though. People want to be heard. Being heard makes them feel valued. If you want to quickly devalue someone, ignore them. Pretend they’re not talking or not in the room.

Author and pastor Andy Stanley once taught five powerful words that leaders should say regularly – “How can I help you?” When you ask questions like this one and then truly listen, you are able to better serve your followers, as well as, gain greater buy-in and credibility.

Are you a good listener?

Or are you a person who is thinking about your rebuttal while the other person is talking?

If you want to become a better leader, become a better listener.

In chapter 6 of Leadership Gold, John Maxwell shares 5 reasons why good listeners are more effective leaders:

1 – Understanding people precedes leading them.

If you don’t listen, you will lack a deeper understanding of your followers. To lead best, listen more. Ask more questions about who they are, not just about what they do. As Stephen R. Covey taught in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

2 – Listening is the best way to learn.

The best way to discover challenges and opportunities is by asking questions and listening. When you choose to listen more than speak, you can learn about the goals, needs, and challenges that your team is facing. You can also become wiser as you realize you’re not always the smartest person in the room. You simply need to bring the smartest people together.

3 – Listening can keep problems from escalating.

Many times people simply want to be heard. They don’t need you to fix their problems. They may just need to vent and process their thoughts out loud. I’ve heard it said that even if a person just speaks to a lamp post they can often feel better. When leaders listen, problems can be kept at a minimum or solved much more easily. Sometimes just being a sounding board allows your followers to come up with their own answers.

4 – Listening establishes trust.

When you listen, you show your followers that you care about them. Concern for their wellbeing establishes trust. When they feel heard, they begin to value you more in return. Trust is the foundation of leadership. Without it, you may have a title but you won’t necessarily have authority.

5 – Listening can improve the organization.

As you listen, you will hear about problems and opportunities more frequently. As you rise in leadership, it becomes more difficult to hear deeply into the organization. You will need to depend on others to be your ears. When you listen to your followers, you will become more aware of what is going on throughout the organization. Then you will have the opportunity to make things better from your position.

Listening is not always an easy task. In fact, it can be the most difficult task of leaders. People look to you for answers, but the best leaders understand that they should ask insightful, clarifying questions before giving an answer. The more information you have before making a decision, the better.

Make the choice today to focus more on listening than speaking. When you feel the temptation to speak up, take a deep breath and count to 10 so you give the other person more time to share.

You can become a better listener.

I believe in you.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

***If you need help developing a personal growth plan or implementing a leadership development program for your team, please contact me. I’d love to talk with you to determine how I can help!

***This article is inspired by chapter 25 of John C. Maxwell’s book Leadership Gold –
“You Only Get Answers To The Questions You Ask.”***

Leaders always want better results, but they are not always achieved.

Why is that?

It’s been said that the definition of “insanity” is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. Many times, leaders dig in their heels and work harder and longer. In our typical American culture, it’s easy to fall into this trap. We are a nation built on the backs of hard work, determination, and “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.” We like the stories of “self-made” men and women.

But what if that isn’t what really made us successful? What if there was something else behind the scenes that caused the success of our great nation?

Innovation and ingenuity came before hard work and determination. Yes, we’re a hard-working society, but someone had to think up the ideas first. And those ideas came in the form of asking better questions than others were asking.

Henry Ford didn’t invent the automobile, but he did figure out the assembly line. He had a curiosity about how to mass-produce vehicles and found a way with his team to make it happen.

Thomas Edison became a famous inventor by asking thousands of questions and experimenting.

The list goes on of famous inventors who knew that in order to become better and find creative solutions, one must ask better questions.

Where do you need to be better? How does your organization need to be better?

In his insightful chapter 25 in Leadership Gold, John C. Maxwell gives us 9 questions to consider:

1 – Am I investing in myself? – Personal Growth Question

2 – Am I genuinely interested in others? – Motive Question

3 – Am I doing what I love and loving what I do? – Passion Question

4 – Am I investing my time with the right people? – Relationship Question

5 – Am I staying in my strength zone? – Effectiveness Question

6 – Am I taking others to a higher level? – Mission Question

7 – Am I taking care of today? – Success Question

8 – Am I taking time to think? – Strategic Leadership Question

9 – Am I developing other leaders? – Legacy Question

If you want to become better, block off intentional time to ask yourself these questions and write down your thoughts. Define specific action steps to implement. Then, build it into your weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual rhythm to ask these questions over and over again. Encourage your team members to do the same.

If you want to become better, start by asking better questions.

Think of specific questions that relate to the problems or opportunities that you are facing.

Reflect on this ancient Chinese proverb – “He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask is a fool forever.” 

Set your ego aside and begin asking more questions rather than telling people what you already know. You might just be amazed at what you learn that can take your leadership and organization to a whole new level.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

***If you need help developing a personal growth plan or implementing a leadership development program for your team, please contact me. I’d love to talk with you to determine how I can help!

***This article is inspired by chapter 13 of John C. Maxwell’s book Leadership Gold –
“Don’t Manage Your Time – Manage Your Life.”***

Peter Drucker wrote the following in his classic management book The Effective Executive – “Nothing else distinguishes effective executives as much as the tender loving care of their time.”

Time management has been a hot topic for decades, but as the world speeds up through technological advances, it becomes an even bigger issue for leaders. There are many expert opinions and perspectives on the tactical side of time management, but few truly get to the core of one of our generation’s greatest challenge. There is no shortage of activities to do, but adding more to your schedule isn’t the wisest or most effective way forward.

In order to maximize the limited time you have each day, implement the following three actions:

1 – Value your uniqueness by doing what you do best, not what others want you to do.

Determine and prioritize what you uniquely contribute to your team and organization. Protect your calendar to do the things that only you can do or are best equipped to do. Delegate the tasks that others can do 80% as well as you can. This will free up your time to focus on your most important action items and give others the opportunity to contribute more.

2 – Focus on doing truly important activities and cut out (or delegate) the rest.

Your time is limited. You only have 24 hours each day like everyone else on planet Earth. There are things that you love to do that others hate and vice versa. There are things that you’re doing that should be someone else’s job. Determine what those items are and adjust your daily schedule. Do a time study for at least two weeks to evaluate where you are spending your time. Reflect on the activities you are doing, then determine if you are the best person to be doing those items. If so, block time to focus on them more. If not, delegate them or dump them altogether.

3 – Grow into your potential by investing in coaching and training.

You have much more potential than you are currently exhibiting. Even if you’re excelling, you can always become better. If you want to perform at peak levels, invest in yourself through hiring a coach and/or go to training workshops. Once you’ve identified the few things that you should be doing, double down on your development in those areas so you can become world-class.

Rather than simply implementing time management tactics, look beneath the surface. Study what you’re doing and evaluate if you are focusing on the best things. Good is often the enemy of great. You will only excel at a few things in life. You can only reach your full potential in your life and work by doing what you do best and delegating other items to others who can excel in those areas.

Before developing a good time management system to help you be productive, take action to manage your life by embracing your unique contribution to your team and organization. You and those you lead will be glad you did.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

***If you need help developing a personal growth plan or implementing a leadership development program for your team, please contact me. I’d love to talk with you to determine how I can help!

***This article is inspired by chapter 11 of John C. Maxwell’s book Leadership Gold –
“Keep Your Mind On The Main Thing.”***

We live and work in a complex world full of options. This can lead to frenetic living trying to do it all or it can create “analysis paralysis.” In order to be most effective, you must keep the main thing the main thing. And to do that, you must first know what should receive your energy and attention.

You’ve most likely heard of the “Pareto Principle” which says that 20% of your efforts produce 80% of your results. The problem is that most people never define the 20% to focus on and, therefore, the 80% receive too much of their attention.

John Maxwell asks three good questions to help you determine what the main thing should be:

1 – What gives me the greatest return?

2 – What is most rewarding?

3 – What is required of me?

If you will designate time to answer these questions, you will be well on your way of identifying your main thing.

Jim Collins wrote this in his best-selling business book Good to Great – “Foxes pursue many ends at the same time and see the world in all its complexity. Hedgehogs, on the other hand, simplify a complex world into a single organizing idea, a basic principle or concept that unifies and guides everything.”

Are you a “fox” chasing many things or are you a “hedgehog” remaining focused on the things in which you are most effective?

Warren Buffet once said, “The business schools reward difficult, complex behavior more than simple behavior, but simple behavior is more effective.”

The reality is that our world becomes more complex every day. Information is multiplying at an extremely rapid rate. It can be overwhelming. The most effective people in our world today and as we head into the future are those who focus on a few key items and do them with excellence. If you try to do too much, you will dilute your efforts. Busyness is kryptonite to leaders. Intentionality and focus are their superpowers.

So, how can you stay focused and productive?

Consider the following 5 decisions that John Maxwell recommends:

1 – Determine not to know everything.

Be an expert in a few key items and surround yourself with experts in other relevant areas.

2 – Determine not to know everything first.

There’s no prize for being the first to know. In fact, most of what you can know first isn’t worth knowing at all! Build a team that is paying attention to relevant information.

3 – Determine to let someone represent you.

You don’t have to be at every meeting or be present on every call. Build a team of individuals who can represent you well and then delegate the task of showing up on your behalf.

4 – Determine to stay with your strengths and not work on your weaknesses.

Do what you can do best and delegate the rest. Even if you don’t have a large team yet, there are ways to outsource your weaknesses so you don’t dilute your expertise.

5 – Determine to take charge of what takes your time and attention.

No one will protect your schedule or attention. This is YOUR responsibility. Make the decision right now to take charge of your time and attention so you can remain focused on what matters most.

Keeping the main thing the main thing is hard work. That’s why most people don’t do it. If you desire to become a great leader, build a great team, and lead a great organization, this is a vital task.

You can do it.

I believe in you.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

P.S. If you need help developing a personal growth plan or implementing a leadership development program for your team, please contact me. I’d love to talk with you to determine how I can help!