Forbes Archives • Living to Lead

Eight Habits of Highly Successful Leaders

October 25, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Six Habits of Highly Successful Leaders — Image Credit: Shutterstock

Featured article by Dave Ferguson in Forbes Coaches Council. Reprinted by permission.

Think of success as a muscle. It must be conditioned to perform at peak levels. The habits you adopt affect how your success strengthens and grows. On the flip side, your habits can diminish your success because they play a significant role in how you feel and approach the day.

In essence, successful leaders are those who consistently practice successful habits.

What are these habits? (Hint: None of them require a complete life makeover.)

Successful leaders read constantly.

This should come as no surprise. Making reading a priority means you are prioritizing your education. Successful leaders always seek ways they can improve themselves. They look to other leaders for advice and inspiration.

Even reading your choice of self-indulgent fiction has been shown to increase creativity, a tool that is essential for staying relevant and innovative in today’s crowded business space.

Successful leaders make goals and consistently reassess those goals.

This should be obvious, yet many leaders fail to set clear goals. If you are going to pull long hours and devote your life to a company or product, you should do so with a goal in mind: an idea of where you want to land.

Successful leaders celebrate the milestones they reach and question what’s keeping them from reaching others.

Their goals are focused and few. The fewer direct goals you have, the more focus you can put toward achieving them.

Successful leaders build positive relationships.

You are who you associate with. Do you tend to collaborate with others who are positive and motivated? Or do you find yourself in toxic environments?

You should never be the smartest person in the room. If you find that this has become the case, it’s time to expand your network. Form positive connections with people by showing genuine interest in your interaction, rather than an “out-for-yourself” attitude. In the same breath, be sure to limit your exposure to toxic people.

Successful leaders practice generosity.

Generosity is at the heart of most success stories. Generosity is about being willing to give of yourself to serve others.

Yes, generosity is an investment. But the payoff is huge. Take mentorship, for example. This is a relationship built on generosity — on giving advice and sharing valuable insights. You are giving back to the broader industry by helping to groom someone who will succeed, innovate, and positively change the field. What you give you are bound to receive back in rewarding ways.

Successful leaders allow for “me” time.

These leaders understand they have only 24 hours each day and are not so selfless as to give it all to someone else. Time is valuable. Successful leaders are aware of how and who they invest their time in.

By taking time for yourself — to clear your head, brainstorm, organize your desk — you are recognizing yourself as an asset. You cannot contribute fully if you are running on empty.

Successful leaders spend time with people who inspire them.

This includes their own teams. They stay connected with what is happening with their employees. It is important to reconnect with the day-to-day details of your company to keep your focus sharp on why your business exists in the first place: your customer. This does not mean, however, you need to stand over people’s shoulders or micromanage. You’ve built a team you can trust. Trust them.

Successful leaders are not shy about collaborating with diverse audiences.

In fact, they seek out experts in other fields through reading, interaction and research. They are quick to pour their skills into the lives of others without expecting an immediate return on investment.

How do you stack up against the most successful leaders in your industry?

Dave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. Are you interested in talking to Dave about coaching or having Dave speak to inspire and motivate your team? “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.

Seven Ways to Ditch Distractions and Increase Productivity

October 18, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Featured article by Dave Ferguson in Forbes Coaches Council. Reprinted by permission.

“How to increase productivity” is one the most common Google searches — and a question I am often asked.

In fact, there is not a single person I encounter who doesn’t want to know how to get more out of their time. Because we all get the same amount of time to work with, there are two options: work smarter or work longer.

Not many people willingly choose the latter.

Productivity is about being deliberate and purposeful with your time.

Here are seven ways to increase your productivity while ditching the distractions holding you back.

Block calendar time.

So simple. So effective. Many of us are guilty of scheduling every minute of our day. This can actually eliminate time to get things accomplished. Think about it: If you are constantly running from board meeting to client meeting to answering emails and “quick questions” from employees, you’ve put yourself in a position prioritizing distractions over productivity.

Running a business is hard. It’s fast-paced. Often, it is essential to keep a strict calendar to organize your appointments. So do yourself a favor and pencil in “work time.” This is a meeting with you; it is an important engagement that requires zero interruptions.

Go off the grid.

We are all guilty of allowing ourselves to be on call. We work, but we keep our email open in another browser and check it every time we look up. We answer text messages on our phone the minute we receive the notification.

Setting blocks of time to check your email allows you to regain control over your schedule and, therefore, your productivity.

Quiet your workspace.

For many people, noise equals distractions. To increase your productivity, do what you can to quiet your workspace. Shut the door. Go to another part of the building.

If you are the type of person who needs a certain amount of ambient noise, take control over it.

Purchase an ambient sound machine or play instrumental music. Finding quality ambient sound is also a way to tune out other loud distractions if leaving your workspace for another is not an option.

Set small, manageable goals.

When tasks feel overwhelming, we can be unsure of where to begin — and so we don’t. Don’t let this be you. By breaking up large tasks into smaller, more manageable goals, you take the pressure off yourself.

After time has passed, be sure to check up on your goals to understand which objectives you have reached and which are left. Then create a plan for meeting them.

Call for “standing” meetings.

Meetings are essential for communicating with your team, but they are also productivity’s No. 1 enemy. These time-suckers can quickly halt momentum.

Try holding “standing” meetings. Yes, they are just what they sound like: Everyone stands the whole time. While this tactic may not work for every agenda, you will quickly find that people cut straight to the point during these meetings and are less likely to stray off topic.

This saves valuable time for you to reallocate to your own tasks. Standing meetings have also been shown to increase team morale and improve group performance.

Take it one task at a time.

Quit multitasking. Seriously. Trying to handle multiple things at one time has actually been shown to decrease productivity.

Look at it strategically. When you multitask, no one thing gets your focused attention. You end up taking more time to complete each task. Fully throw yourself into one specific project and watch the progress happen.

Take predetermined breaks.

Don’t forget to give yourself a break. Performing long tasks without allowing yourself to rest will lead to burnout: Your productivity will slow down because your brain is tired.

Think of taking a 10-minute break every two hours as refueling your mental fortitude. You can’t expect to produce quality work if your brain is running on empty.

Three Ways to Better Manage Your Expectations as an Executive Leader

October 11, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Featured article by Dave Ferguson in Forbes Coaches Council. Reprinted by permission.

I talk a lot about the criticism that comes on the path to success. But what about the psychology of failure? Did you know that how you manage your expectations can define your performance as an executive leader?

Laird Hamilton once said, “Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your two ears.”

Everyone falls victim to negative thoughts. They are often unpredictable and catch us off guard.

They come to tell us we aren’t good enough, that we are lazy, selfish, and that we just aren’t made of “the right stuff.”

Here’s the truth:

Having negative thoughts is a normal process on the road to personal and professional development.

Success and failure can be largely defined through how you manage your expectations. Setting tangible, concise goals and delivering those results help keep negative thoughts at bay.

Through my experience, there are three steps you need to take to effectively manage your expectations. Memorize and share them with your team to start building a culture of collaboration and transparency in your organization.

Base your own expectations in reality.

A common problem in today’s work culture is when an executive leader sets unrealistic goals.

When establishing expectations for a project, are you taking into account disruptions, setbacks, obstacles, and other interferences to the “ideal” condition? Do you have the tools you need in order to achieve your goals?

Taking time to reflect on these questions and assess your answers is critical. Basing your expectations in reality provides a better opportunity to position yourself to face criticism from others as well as from yourself.

Customize a clear and focused message.

Goals should not be kept secret. An effective executive leader clearly communicates goals to teams – simple as that.

Keeping information above water for all to see is critical to building organizational trust. Without that, you’re dead in the water.

When your message is clear and well-defined, people understand what to expect from you. You have also made your expectations their expectations — keeping you in control of your own “success” narrative.

Define benchmark goals to manage your expectations.

Are you your own worst critic? I know I am. We are harder on ourselves than anyone else could be, and yet we are statistically more accountable to other people.

This is why mentorship and professional coaching is a $2 billion industry. Developing personal accountability is directly linked to learning how to expertly manage your expectations.

I walk clients through breaking down large goals into smaller pieces. This makes them more digestible (and grounds my executive leader clients in reality).

Benchmark goals are an effective way to demonstrate progress, which in turn provides a healthy dose of motivation to push ahead.

Remember to recover from mistakes and always move forward. And be careful how you talk to yourself – you are listening.

The Strong Leader’s Character Creed

August 16, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Featured article by Dave Ferguson in Forbes Coaches Council. Reprinted by permission.

Character in leadership is of utmost importance. It has the power to build your business, relationships and reputation. It sets the tone for your team and your business, and is the bedrock of trust.

Just as character can lift you up, a lack thereof can swiftly take you down. Sadly, it only takes one mistake in character to ruin a business, a relationship or a reputation.

Becoming a leader of strong character comes down to living true to your core beliefs and values. These values help you determine what’s right and wrong, and are key to making wise decisions. Since our success is a composition of good decisions, having the character to lead based on core beliefs and values cannot be overemphasized.

The Strong Leader’s Character Creed

Living by these 10 character traits will provide a solid foundation for you as a leader:

1. Be honest.

2. Demonstrate integrity.

3. Keep promises.

4. Be loyal.

5. Be conscientious.

6. Pursue excellence.

7. Be kind and caring.

8. Esteem all people.

9. Be fair.

10. Be a good citizen.

Every day, we face choices that test our character. Some decisions are subject to immediate review by those with whom we live and work. In most cases, we will take the easy way out by making a choice that is acceptable to the majority. Then we go on with our life. These account for about 10% of the decisions we make.

What about the other 90% — the ones we make behind closed doors? These decisions speak volumes about our character as a leader.

True character is not something for which you can take a class. It is who you are when people are looking, but more especially when they are not. Being congruent means you are the same person regardless of the circumstances or who is watching. I have met many bosses who have no understanding of this concept.

I used to think some people were strong in character and some were not, and that was just the way things were. But after dealing with issues of character in my work with leaders for several years, I have a new understanding. Character can be influenced by our surroundings, our experiences and those with whom we associate. And while good character cannot be taught, it is something you can practice and improve upon over time.

Becoming A Person Of Strong Character

These are some steps to follow:

1. Surround Yourself With People Of Strong Character

Bad company corrupts good character. Think about the five people in your life with whom you spend the most time. Are they people of strong character? Do they demonstrate the type of leadership you wish to emulate? If not, expand your circle to include people of this caliber. And if you can’t find those types of people, you can always read about them. There is power in the books you read.

2. Seek Truth And Favor Reason Over Emotional Impulses

It is easy to be biased or prejudiced by emotions. That is part of human nature. But don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed by fear or sadness. Learn to master your feelings, and avoid letting anything other than common sense and sound logic dictate the decisions you make.

3. Be Content But Not Complacent

It is important to appreciate your own values and be happy with what you do have. It is good to focus on and be grateful for the positives in your life. However, that does not mean you can become stagnant. Laziness never achieves anything. Stay focused on the next high point and do the work to get there.

4. Exercise Your Empathy

Sometimes you have to engage in tough conversations. It is easy to try and sidestep them or put them off, but don’t. Instead, face these conversations with empathy and action. Don’t sympathize. That is an emotional but passive reaction. Instead, you need to extend yourself, engage as needed, and do something to resolve the issue.

5. Excel Wherever You Are

Confusion is a character killer. Set the standard. You can’t expect others to perform at a higher level than you are willing to provide. This does not mean you have to be an expert in everything. It just means you do your best, no matter the task.

These are the practices that will build strong character and give you the experience you need to be a great leader. Are you practicing the habits that will strengthen your character as a leader?

In essence, successful leaders are those who consistently practice successful habits.

What are these habits? (Hint: None of them require a complete life makeover.)

Successful leaders read constantly.

Successful leaders make goals and consistently reassess those goals.

Successful leaders celebrate the milestones they reach and question what’s keeping them from reaching others.

Successful leaders build positive relationships.

Successful leaders practice generosity.

Successful leaders allow for “me” time.

Successful leaders spend time with people who inspire them.

Successful leaders are not shy about collaborating with diverse audiences.

How do you stack up against the most successful leaders in your industry?

Here are seven ways to increase your productivity while ditching the distractions holding you back.

Block calendar time.

Go off the grid.

Quiet your workspace.

Set small, manageable goals.

Call for “standing” meetings.

Take it one task at a time.

Take predetermined breaks.

Here’s the truth:

Base your own expectations in reality.

Customize a clear and focused message.

Define benchmark goals to manage your expectations.

The Strong Leader’s Character Creed

Becoming A Person Of Strong Character

1. Surround Yourself With People Of Strong Character

2. Seek Truth And Favor Reason Over Emotional Impulses

3. Be Content But Not Complacent

4. Exercise Your Empathy

5. Excel Wherever You Are

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