Are you aware of the impact of habits highly successful leaders share? You know, the ones for positive thinking and your personal development? But how to best build these habits and this positive attitude is another matter, isn’t it?
People often lament that despite their best efforts, they just cannot seem to get, and stay, organized. Even though they’ve been working at it diligently and have tried many strategies, nothing seems to stick. So how do organized people stay organized?
People often say that “nothing succeeds like success,” and, to a certain extent, that’s true. Successful companies get good press, find it easier to win new business as well as procure and retain top talent.
However, with success also comes growth and that brings its own set of challenges, especially for young companies. Often, it sends promising new stars into a tailspin from which they never recover.
There are lots out there to advise companies on how to be successful, but very little about how to manage the growth success brings. I’ve spent most of my career building entrepreneurial companies, done several turnarounds after things went awry, and uncovered some common problems as well as some successful solutions.
Check out our thoughts on team leverage.
Over the years, I’ve noticed they have twelve habits in common. Here they are:
Listen much more than you talk
The most likable people know that it’s not worth offending people by expressing everything they know, even if they are true. You should pay close attention to someone speaking to you.
Keep an open mind
Those who close themselves off from certain ideas and associate only with like-minded people are missing out on not only personal growth but also opportunities for advancing their careers.
Ought to read:
Habits of the Rich and Successful People
Keep it simple
Elaborate organizational systems are hard to maintain and not worth the effort most of the time. It’s not necessary to color-code file folders by subject or activities on a calendar by a relative. The effort far outweighs the benefits.
Trying to keep your child’s toy reptiles separated from his toy mammals is also not worth your time. A bin for plastic toys will do. If the way you’ve organized something is too complicated and requires too many steps, it will be frustrating to maintain, which is the opposite of what you want.
Develop routines
Develop a morning or evening routine for tasks that happen daily or weekly. Maybe you open the mail every night after dinner or update your calendar and to-do list each morning before breakfast. If your mornings are hectic, make sure your work bag is packed before you go to bed.
Recycle yesterday’s newspaper each morning when you get a new one. Pay your bills every Saturday morning. Regular maintenance and short spurts of organizing will save you a lot of time later. Do your best to stick with your routine. But if you skip a day or two, that’s fine. Just try to resume as soon as you can.
Maintain patience
The proper timing of your words and acts will give you a big advantage over people who are impatient.
For example: Don’t click send on the email right away — breathe and reread it. The classic example would be getting irate and sending something with hostility.
Much of real happiness is a matter of being aware of what you’re doing while you’re doing it — and enraged people aren’t typically conscious of their actions.
Have a place for everything, and put everything in its place
This sounds easy and obvious, but it is neither. Establish a spot for a specific category of stuff, because it’s impossible to put things away if you don’t know where they belong. Make sure the spot is convenient, practical and has enough space to accommodate the items you want to put there.
If your dresser drawers are overflowing or there is no room to hang clothes in your closet, then your clothes don’t have a “place.” Likewise, if your filing cabinet is crammed and you can’t fit new papers inside, you’ll be less likely to file. Also, don’t set something down temporarily. Take a few extra seconds to put it where it belongs. Every time.
Keep a current and detailed to-do list
Even though it may seem as if organized people manage their lives with little effort, it takes a fair amount of planning. One of the secrets is keeping detailed to-do lists for daily tasks and longer-term projects. If you prefer to write things down, a small notebook works best because it keeps everything together and allows you to reference old tasks.
Avoid using loose sheets of paper that can be lost, and carry the notebook with you. If you use the tasks or notes features on your phone or computer, keep your lists current and consolidate them with your paper lists regularly. Give yourself deadlines if that helps you to complete items.
Habits highly successful leaders share … don’t fear failure
People admire those who grow from failure rather than wallow in it. Express your gratitude for having gained a measure of success.
Successful leaders … express interest in people
The most likable people use conversations as an opportunity to learn about another person and give them time to share a story.
Be genuine in praise
Praise the good traits of others without being excessive.
Don’t get bogged down by perfectionism
There is a common misperception that all organized people are perfectionists. Although this may ring true for some, many organized people realize they can’t possibly do everything perfectly and get everything done.
They prioritize tasks and learn where and how to take shortcuts and how to complete tasks quickly. They don’t get mired in projects that will be impossible to finish on time. In other words, they don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.
Toss things daily and purge routinely
Organized people don’t wait for a free weekend or an upcoming move to get their homes in order. They are constantly throwing things away, reevaluating their possessions and tidying their houses.
They may take five minutes each night to clear papers off the kitchen counter or 10 minutes while dinner is cooking to clean out the refrigerator. When they return home with groceries, they quickly scan items in their pantry to toss any expired or nearly empty containers and clean off their desks at night’s end. Organizing is not a separate event. It is a part of their day.
As you dig out of the chaos of the holidays and begin to think about how to be more organized and efficient in the future, try to make one or two of these strategies your standard practice. If you can do that, you’ll be on your way to an organized year.
Successful leaders in business … always keep their cool
Maintain your composure in all circumstances. Overreaction to things either positive or negative can give people a poor impression. Always remember that silence may be much more effective than angry words.
Show you care
Successful people don’t pretend to be likable; they are likable because they show care for others. Having a confidant who can be completely honest with you allows continued growth.
Reflect at the end of every day
Most of the time, heading out of the office is the time for rehearsing everything that went wrong that day. We recommend also reflecting on what went well. That way you do not deny that some things went poorly, but you’re getting a richer picture of what happened.
The bottom line
Many of these are habits that we already know, of course. They are not rocket science and shouldn’t be.
This list of little things simply reminds us of what we have forgotten. Then it is up to us to put these lessons (or reminders) into daily use through persistence and practice.
Remember … your experience and learning trumps all!
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More leadership material from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Build an Effective Team by Being a Talent Hound
Success Enablers of Highly Creative Leaders
Secrets to Becoming a Remarkably Mindful Leader
Leadership Characteristics That Improve Influence |