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The one commonality for all leaders is that life is filled with pressure. Pressure will cause us to act in different ways than we might otherwise. When this happens our priorities can become confused and distorted. Consider these insights.
- We overestimate the importance of most things
- Too many priorities paralyzes people
- When small demands are given too much attention, BIG problems occur
- Making everything a priority means nothing is a priority
Someone once said, “An infant is born with a clenched fist; an adult dies with an open hand. Life has a way of prying free the things we think are so important.” If you want to develop the leader within you, don’t wait for tragedy to realign your priorities. Become proactive about the process starting today. Begin by acknowledging the following principles (John Maxwell)
Working smarter has a higher return than working harder – Disciplined of the time that everyone else wastes can give you and edge (Dan Kennedy). When you do this you will be able to accomplish what you have delayed because of the lack of time.
You can’t have it all – Could it be that once you figure out what it is that you really want, your leadership becomes clarified and your decisions become more focused and narrow in scope. Clarity is a wonderful thing in leadership. If it is fuzzy and we are busy doing what everyone else is doing, our leading is going to be equally fuzzy and frantic. You cannot do everything. Get focused! Strive for crystal clear priorities – you really cannot do everything.
The good is always the enemy of the best – Most people can prioritize between good and bad or right and wrong. But what happens when you are faced with two good options? There are times when the good must be sacrificed for the best. This is why clarity is so valuable to the focused leader. Since you cannot do it all – choose wisely the best.
Proactive beats reactive – If you do not think this is not true, think about how much is accomplished then week before you go on vacation. Meetings, emails, phone calls, and completion of assignments all get done the week before vacation. It is amazing to watch!
The important needs takes precedence over the urgent needs – The Pareto Principle has not been fully embraced. 20% of your priorities will give you 80% of your production if you spend your time, energy,talent and money on 20% of your priorities. Question; Who are the top 20% of your staff? Spend 80% of your time investing in them for an 80% return on production. All employees/team members do not impact your organization equally. Therefore, equip this 20% to impact the next 20% below them which increases production and return on investment. Rinse and Repeat!
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Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!
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