Start TodayThe 80/20 rule sounds like a mathematical formula and in some ways it is but don’t fret, this isn’t a lesson on statistics. The rule came from an Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto, who stated that 80% of the Italian income was earned by 20% of the Italian population. 

What this means is that 80% of your outcomes come from 20% of your inputs. To put this another way, 20% of your activities equate to 80% of your happiness. Instead of focusing on income, we will focus on your overall well being or happiness factor.

To prove this theory, look at the distribution of wealth and lately with the shrinking of the middle class, this is even more apparent that a small portion of the population controls the majority of the economy. Look at business, the top earners are a small percentage of companies and earn the largest portion of income. And if you look at your own habits, you most likely spend most of your income on few things like your mortgage, car payment, food and you probably spend most of your time with a few people each day.

So how can you use the 80/20 rule to maximize your outputs? Let’s look at John Maxwell. He talks about the fact that he is only good at a few things. Therefore, he doesn’t waste his time with those things he cannot do or does not want to do. By focusing on what you are good at – those few things; and not waste time on those things you are not good at, you maximize your efficient self and are able to improve upon and increase your skillset on what you are good at and what you love to do.

Malcolm Gladwell speaks of how to become an expert; the common thread is spending 10,000 hours perfecting one’s craft. If you spread yourself across the board, become a Jack of all trades, master of none, than your efficiency rate decreases and no longer will the 80/20 rule work in your favor.

Take a moment and consider what you love and what you are really good at and then list out those things that cause you to waste time and decrease your efficient self. If you are able, hire someone to do those tasks that fall on that list. Share duties with your children, spouse, roommate, significant other, co-worker, team members etc. Trade your time and skillset for theirs. You will find that focusing on those 20% tasks, the 80% yield will be worthwhile.

How many times do we hear if only I had more time or if only I had more finances, I could… or If only the sun would shine. I could write many other illustrations, but I think that you get the point. We have been raised from childhood to believe there are have’s and have not’s in life Generally speaking the conclusion has been to work harder and longer to achieve so that we do not become a “have not.”

Under the surface the real issue is one of scarcity – there is not enough to go around, so I have to be there first to get mine! Author Lynn Twist in the book The Soul of Money writes; “This mantra of not enough carries the day and becomes a kind of default setting for our thinking about everything…it grows into the great justification for an unfulfilled life. It becomes the reason we can’t have what we want or become the person we would like to be…”

Author Twist writes about three toxic myths of scarcity. First of all there is the notion that there is never enough. This leads to a fear that drives us to do whatever is necessary to make sure that we are not the one without. Second of all there is the conclusion that more is better. Pitrium Sorokim, a Soviet dissident from the 1930 wrote about societies that move away from God tend to their lives with more and more things. Bigger, more of it, and more often seems to be modern day mantra. Thirdly is an attitude of hopelessness, helplessness, and being unequal in a world that will never change. In other words we do not lead our life we simply accept our life and call it FATE! The third area is one of the hardest to overcome. The less willing that we are to question beliefs about scarcity the more entrenched we become within a culture of scarcity.

The unraveling of a scarcity belief begins as soon as we adopt a different reference point. Our focus so many times is limited to our immediate circle of acquaintances and workmates. We measure ourselves against the grid and rhythm of life within that circle. However, when we view life from of a global perspective then we realize how abundantly blessed and how much excess we have. When we change our viewpoint to one of sufficiency – we believe that we have enough of everything.

Sufficiency is not an amount! It is not comparative at all. Instead sufficiency is an experience, a context we generate, a declaration knowing there is enough and that I am enough!

Courage is something that everybody wants — an attribute of good character that makes us worthy of respect. From the Bible to fairy tales; ancient myths to Hollywood movies,our culture is rich with exemplary tales of bravery and self-sacrifice for the greater good. From the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz who finds the courage to face the witch, to David battling Goliath in the Bible, to Star Wars and Harry Potter, children are raised on a diet of heroic and inspirational tales(Dr. Melanie Greenburg). So, where do we begin?

1. Courage To Change – It has been said that until the pain of remaining the same is greater than the pain of change, nothing ever changes. At some point you must decide that your fullest potential is not being reached. At that moment you must have the courage to face this reality and then begin to act! In order to go where God is calling you, you cannot remain the same – you must leave something behind!
2. Commitment To Change – “It takes courage … to endure the sharp pains of self discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives.” ― Marianne Williamson. There is a maxim of leadership that states you cannot lead anyone past your own thinking! You need to marshall your finest resources together and commit to a new version of yourself. Allow the old version of yourself to die.
3. Capabilities – You must know yourself in order to grow yourself! When was the last time that you used a psychometric tool such as Myers/Briggs, Birkman, or D.I.S.C. to gain understanding into your unique design. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Your comprehensions of this design will allow you to act and decide with clarity. You effectively increase your over all skill level by understanding a clearer version of yourself. In addition to self-comprehensions, there are tines that you must grow your skill capability through advanced learning. Allow others to speak into your life through seminars, classes, executive coaching, etc..
4. Confidence In The Change – When you realize the improvement that has been accomplished by means of the first three steps – a new found confidence occurs. You realize a new sense of confidence that challenges you to even greater heights of accomplishment. Remember that the road of success and the road of failure are one and the same. Success just happens to be a little further down the road.

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The American “book-worm” is a rare breed these days. In the publication, The Atlantic,  reports that   one quarter of Americans did not even crack open a book, fire up the Kindle, or push play on an audio book last year. James Allen once wrote that you cannot lead anyone past your own thinking. So the real issue at stake is not so much a “readership crisis” as it is a “leadership crisis.” I have been a committed reader for years averaging about 5000 words annually.

There is no guarantee, but readers tend to be leaders. There are good reasons for this reality.

1. “Matthew Effect” – The Matthew Effect is taken from the gospel of Matthew in which there is discussion on the “rich becoming richer and the poor becoming poorer.” Stanovich,1986; Walberg & Tsai, 1983 applied this concept to academic learning. What they discovered was those who apply themselves to the mechanics of reading break through the “spelling to sound” barrier faster, thereby enhancing the reading ability in the long view of life. It can be safely stated that reading helps us master communication skills.
2. Better Thinkers – Author Anne Cunningham writes that reading enhances one’s ability to decipher misinformation thereby enhancing judgement capabilities. When life squeezes us by time constraints, being able to make correct judgments is an essential skill that only reading will enhance its effectiveness.
3. Relaxation – Dr. David Lewis writes that reading can reduce stress more efficiently than music or exercise. Reading stimulates creativity by means of an interaction of words and imagination. New ideas are born ad come alive within as we read. We forget momentarily the stress of the day as we immerse ourselves in a good book. 
4. People Skills – In a Psychology Today article people reported that reading offers an opportunity to learn skills vicariously through characters presented through reports or fiction. Television is stupid – it tells you what to think. Reading offers opportunities for original thought and how to think. Carol Clark reports that the neuro-connections made while reading may last for days as opposed to the instant gratification of televised media.
5. Youthfulness – This reason does not have anything to do with the physical appearance of youthfulness so much as it focus upon intellectual capital as reported by Micahel Hyatt. Reading keeps the imagination alive and the heart young. Stop reading and start dying is more than a scar tactic. Investing in yourself by reading enhances your leadership capability. Age is not a disqualifier rather it is a prerequisite!

Depending on who you are reading these days, you will come across the idea that you must reinvent yourself  every 36 months and your organization every 5 years. Again that depends on who you are reading. Make no mistake CHANGE is the one comforting constant in our life. Because of that change, we must reinvent ourselves in order to influence our world. Influence is the essence of leadership. Here are 5 hats that must be worn for effective leadership.

1. The Emotionally Intelligent Leader – EQ is the realization that your leadership strengths have accompanying weaknesses. Patrick Lencioni’s book The Advantage, is about why emotional health trumps everything in leadership. Intelligence is not the ultimate goal, emotional intelligence is a chief characteristic of effective leaders. As a leader you develop “learned behaviors” to compensate for your strengths. (Ie. learning to be an active listener).
2. Becoming A Leader of Leaders – Growing things by yourself is not sustainable. Eventually things implode and your circle of influence shrinks. If your goal is to become a legacy leader for the long-haul of life. You must invest yourself in becoming a leader of leaders.
3. The Healthy Leader – Everybody has issues. After a few years of leading, your issues will surface before others to view, there is NO escape! Your personal demons will either overtake you or you are going to overtake your personal demons – the choice is yours. You must keep yourself grounded in your present reality and avoid the “crazy-making” of everyone else’s stuff.
4. The Life-Long Student Leader – “If you do not know where you are going, any road will take you there.” “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every-time.” A graduate student asked Dr. Paul Feinberg once why he was working on his 3rd dissertation for his 3rd Ph.D.. Dr. Feinberg’s response was swift and confident, “I have committed myself to be a “life-learner.” The leader who wants to be a teacher without becoming a student first will never be a teacher worth following.  There is no point that anyone of us have arrived. We either continue the learning or choose to stop!
5. The Change Agent Leader – Many leaders find it easy to change what someone else introduced, Few leaders find the courage to change what they introduced. Effective leaders must change what you introduced. You need to look those you are leading in the eye and declare; “For this season what we have been doing worked. However the season has changed and here is the new approach!”

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