5 habits of the productive leader
I have always taught that success and productivity are not an act of magic. They do not happen overnight. Every triumph and every achievement involves change, transformation, and action.
People assume that daily personal habits have nothing to do with business and work. Let me tell you: they do. Your habits will determine whether you reach the goals you set.
Nobody conquers Everest by waking up at noon, watching television around the clock, or letting phone notifications steal their attention. Whoever conquers adopts a way of living that matches the size of their dreams. They plan, they distinguish the urgent from the important, they organize themselves, and they do not procrastinate.
In a recent master class on managing your energy for productivity, master coach Jacques Giraud taught me this: “When you spend your energy on several open tasks at random, your core energy drops, and that exhaustion turns into lost productivity. Finish your tasks in order of priority without leaving them half done — your central energy renews itself each time you complete something, so you can start the next one with full power.”
When you wake up, build your own plan for the day and prepare yourself energetically — what Jacques Giraud calls “intimate planning.” Organize your thoughts, and keep everything in one place. A task list scattered around your house or office on colored sticky notes does not serve you; bring all of your tasks together. Aligning your energy gives you the strength to be more productive.
Remember: what you do daily determines your near future. So here is my top five for the highly productive leader. I know you want to lead at home, at work, and in your company. You want to make a difference, right? If the answer is yes, write these five down and start applying them today.
1. Practice physical activity. Cardiovascular exercise improves memory, attention span, and creativity. It also reduces stress and lifts your mood.
2. Remove distractions. When it is time to work, turn off your phone notifications and focus. Do not let WhatsApp messages and email run your day — put yourself first before you open them, and create set windows for checking your phone.
3. Define objectives. Without goals you will not make meaningful progress. Set objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Put them somewhere you can see them; the visibility itself is a stimulus.
4. Get up early. It is simple logic: the later you wake up, the fewer hours you have to make your dreams real. Give your projects quality time. Being a successful leader takes time.
5. Reward the effort. Every good act deserves a reward. Recognizing yourself for finishing work creates a positive mental cycle: you complete something, you get a reward, and you feel more inclined to take on the next task.
Finally, take stock of everything you did during the day. Evaluate your own performance, and become conscious of what you did, how you did it, and what was left undone. That awareness lets you meet the next day with more willingness and more order, so you can produce with strategy.