Take Time For Tedious Tasks

I was filing my tax return the other day and I was thinking about the time and energy it takes to prepare and get ready mentally to deal with such a daunting task. You know; the kind of task that is tedious and somewhat complicated. The aggravation leading up to the task takes more energy than actually completing the task itself. Once I sat down I found it was not that difficult and it didn't take an enormous amount of time. Have you ever experienced a situation like that? Deal with the tedious task upfront and experience the release of energy from its completion.

Don't Make Yourself Irreplaceable

Be flexible and ready to move on. Always work to improve your output on the job. Try to do things better, faster, more efficiently but remember that no one is irreplaceable. Other challenges may be waiting for you in the future. Be prepared to look at unusual opportunities. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted. Keep things organized and make it easy for the next person in line to take the rein once you move on to greater things.

Identify Your Big Dream

I like to stop every once in a while, to take a moment to think big and dream big and stir myself up with energy and enthusiasm. Lift your head up from the grindstone and ask yourself: "What would I do right now if I had a million dollars?" If money was no object and you could do whatever you wanted to do, what would it be? If your answer is; continue with what I am doing right now, you are already on your way toward your dream!

Careful Decisions Implemented Quickly

Deliberate your decisions carefully, let your people provide input, foster dialogue for mutual understanding but don't get bogged down with too much analysis. Make decisions carefully, implement them quickly and be slow to reverse or change them once made. In the decision making process as well as for communication purposes I like the one-pager format. It is an excellent practice to summarize the vital points on a single page. It will be easier to share and much easier to understand when not cluttered with too much detail.

Organization, Goals And Information

To get a team to perform at their best there are at least three major leadership skills at play that involve (1) the purpose of organization; which is to get everyone on the team to understand and accept their respective roles. (2) The purpose of goal setting; which is ultimately to get the players motivated and enthused and (3) the purpose of transparent information sharing; which is to make sure everyone is fully involved and engaged. Do you want to play ball?

How Desperate Are You To Win?

Motivation and drive play a much bigger role than do capability and skill. The primary question of success is not how good you are. The primary question is how much you want it. A billionaire I once met said to me: "You don't have to be particularly smart nor necessarily well educated. All you have to do is decide what you want and give it all you got. Then you will have success!"

A Good Conscience The Best Pillow

When faced with an ethical or moral dilemma ask yourself; should this story become a news item and show up on TV or on the first page of a major national newspaper, then what? If I can defend this decision publicly in the evening paper and continue to sleep well at night, then it is probably okay to just go ahead. The old line: "Follow you heart and let your conscience be your guide" seems to hold up to this test.