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Eight Habits of Highly Successful Leaders

October 25, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Six Habits of Highly Successful Leaders
Image Credit: Shutterstock

dave-ferguson-forbes-article 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.

Get Prepared for the Upturn

March 23, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Today, as markets are on the rise, the outlook for employment is looking up, and the grim economic news of recent years is beginning to be replaced by more positive reports. If you are not already prepared for the upturn, now is the time to get prepared.

As the leader of your company or team, following are seven actions you can take now to prepare for the upturn. In fact, these actions apply in upturns and downturns as well.

  1. Get creative.

    Innovation is one of two things that make money for companies. Spend time brainstorming with your peers, employees, friends, coaches, and others. Get everyone’s juices stirring around products, services, and processes.

  2. Get your operations house in order.

    Spend time with your customers, including those who are not currently buying from you. Let them know you value their businesses as well as their business. Then ask them how you can improve. Find out your strengths and weaknesses as an organization. Build on your organizational strengths, and work on your organizational weaknesses.

  3. Get your financial house in order.

    You must create a firm foundation for growth if you want to participate in the upturn. Have all the necessary documentation ready for the bank in case you need to borrow at the onset. There could be a race for the funds, and you will want to win that race!

  4. Have a strategic plan.

    Make sure you have a game plan for game day. A true strategic plan is all about tactics, techniques, and implementation. If you are going to beat the competition out of the gate and down the stretch, you need a strong strategy.

  5. Get the right people on your team.

    Evaluate your team, and if you have doubts about anyone, consider replacing them. There are many free agents on the market, and you can use this time and their talent to upgrade your team. It is wise to bring in an objective third party to help with this process, especially around interviewing and selection.

  6. Invest in your people.

    As the upturn takes hold, so will the war for talent. If you have good talent and want to keep them, invest in them now. Help them prepare themselves to be the best they can be. Provide them with more training, as well as developmental opportunities. Investing in your people now will demonstrate a commitment from you that will factor big time if and when the competition attempts to steal them away.

  7. Carry the torch of hope.

    Whether in upturns, downturns, or transitions between the two, a leader must spread hope throughout the organization. These times may be tough, but that doesn’t mean the talk has to be. Don’t let your employees dwell on the negative; rather, help them see the positive. Find ways to energize and lift them. Consider bringing in an inspirational speaker. And, always, keep the lines of communication, vision, and goal-sharing open.

Truly effective leaders don’t just strike while the iron is hot. They strike well before the furnace is lit. They see the vision and create the solution long before it is needed. If you are working your company goals and objectives, as well as planning for the good times ahead, you will not only have a better chance at surviving the downturns, you will be ready to ride the next wave.


Dave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. For help in getting your organization ready for the upturn, “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.

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