Habits of successful CEOs

 

Highly successful CEOs share habits like ** relentless learning, focusing on strategic vision, prioritizing health, effective delegation, building strong networks, clear communication, fostering a growth mindset, and disciplined action**, often starting days early with clear priorities and minimizing distractions for impactful execution and resilient leadership. 

Here's a checklist of common habits for successful CEOs:

Mindset & Growth

• Continuous Learning: Read widely, ask questions, and stay curious.
• Growth Mindset: View challenges as opportunities, embrace failure as learning.
• Strategic Thinking: Protect time for deep, long-term planning, not just urgent tasks.
• Resilience & Humility: Handle stress, bounce back from setbacks, and stay grounded. 

Execution & Action

• Early Starts & Focus: Begin days early with clear, prioritized tasks (e.g., top 3).
• Data-Driven Decisions: Analyze facts and trends, not just emotions.
• Massive, Disciplined Action: Move quickly on calculated risks; execution is key.
• Effective Delegation: Empower teams and focus on high-level strategy. 

Leadership & People

• Clear Communication: Be transparent and inspiring.
• Strong Networks: Build relationships with other high achievers and mentors.
• Empowerment & Coaching: Lift others up and help them succeed through questioning, not just telling. 

Health & Well-being

• Physical & Mental Health: Prioritize exercise, rest, and mindfulness.
• Time Management: Ruthlessly manage time and avoid multitasking to stay productive. 

How to Use This Checklist:

• Self-Assess: Rate your consistency in each area.
• Identify Gaps: Pinpoint 1-2 habits to focus on improving this month.
• Seek Accountability: Share with a mentor or peer for support. 

https://tinyurl.com/bde6v98y

Time is our most precious resource. Every CEO will need to commit to effective time mastery behaviours in order to “win the war for talent” and accelerate business results.

1.Develop a 3-year Career BHAG

Explore all options. Combine passion with competence and need to achieve extraordinary results. Develop a plan to achieve your career BHAG. Think and act world-class to achieve your full-potential.

2. Let go of the decision.

List your top 30 work-related activities. For each activity, assess your ability to do each one based on the descriptions below:

• Masterful: extraordinary ability; passion; gives you energy
• Excellent: superior ability; no real sense of passion
• Competent: adequate ability; boredom; little improvement in performance over time
• Incompetent: inadequate ability; failure; stressful

Spend most of your time on masterful and excellent activities and delegate the competent and incompetent activities to accelerate results. Caution: Delegation without coaching and mentoring does NOT work!

3. Spend your time wisely.

What are the three most important activities on which you need to focus to deliver extraordinary results? Plan your time every day, week, month, quarter and year and you’ll be on the path to achieving your full potential and producing extraordinary results in all aspects of your life. Do you have a 90-day action plan.

4. Identify your top 20 list of 360 degree stakeholders.
Business is about people. Do everything you can to build relationships with your stakeholders and help them be successful. Know why people would want to build a relationship with you. Practice the following simple, yet powerful, relationship-building strategies: Keep commitments; start on time and end on time; finish what you start; say please and thank you.

5. Take 100% responsibility and accountability for your own ability to influence.

Focus on outcomes. Clarify expectations with 360 degree stakeholders (board/boss, peers, direct reports, customers). Claim the D. Dial-up assertiveness. Minimize frustration.

6. Take control of your life balance.
You are 100% responsible for achieving your full potential in all aspects of your life. Assess how satisfied are you with the following: career, health, financial situation, spouse/partner, friends/family, personal growth, home/physical environment, social responsibility and fun. Set goals and enjoy the bumpy journey of life. Be assertive with your 360 degree stakeholders to manage expectations and ask for what you want. Stop judging others. Life balance is personal.

7. Build your Skills, Behaviours and Experience (SBE) toolkit.
The higher you go, the more critical leadership success behaviours are to your success. Read the HBR article, “Coaching the Alpha Male” to learn more about the following success and (derailment) behaviours:

• Self confident and opinionated (intimidating)
• Highly intelligent (demeaning)
• Action oriented (impatient)
• High-performance expectations of oneself and others (always dissatisfied)
• Direct communication style (CYA culture)
• Highly disciplined (burnout)
• Unemotional (not inspiring)

Leadership coaching, 360 feedback, job shadowing and mentoring are very effective approaches to learning success behaviours.

8. Reach out to internal and external mentors and coaches.
Surround yourself with people who inspire you to learn, grow and achieve your full potential. Be courageous and ask for help.

9. Take risks and don’t be afraid to fail.
Learn from your mistakes and move on. Ask for forgiveness, not permission. Failure and rejection build character so don’t be attached to the outcome. Read Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers.

10. Set ideal outcomes, always do your best and celebrate your success.
Increase your ability to identify compelling ideal outcomes and get out of your comfort zone. Understand your starting point and work towards achieving your ideal outcomes. Look back to celebrate the progress you have made from your starting point. Avoid beating yourself up if you don’t achieve your ideal outcomes. You are good enough now and you are on a life-long journey of progress toward ideal outcomes. Strive for success, not perfection. Take five minutes every day to celebrate success and to identify your three most important accomplishments.

11. Coach, mentor and empower others to be accountable for results.
Use influence, NOT position power. Listen first and listen 80/20. Dial-up empathy and use your SBEs to help others be successful. Ask questions to help people identify issues and options and make effective decisions. Stop telling people what to do and how to do it.

12. Believe in yourself and build self-confidence.
Get smarter every day by building on strengths (www.strengthsquest.com) and using the “feedback is a gift” principle. Don’t take anything personally. Invest your time, money and resources to improve your SBEs. Read like crazy.

13. Be happy now.
Life is short. You are only one thought away from being happy with your life. Read: You Can Be Happy No Matter What: Five Principles for Keeping Life in Perspective by Dr. Richard Carlson.

https://tinyurl.com/mtdbh2j9

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

 

Stephen R. Covey's book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," has been a cornerstone in personal and professional development since its publishing. According to Covey, these seven habits are specifically designed to help individuals from all walks to life achieve success by fostering effectiveness and leadership. Let's take a closer look at the seven habits and how they can be applied to enhance your life.

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Being proactive means taking responsibility for your actions and decisions instead of being reactive. Proactive people recognize that they have the power to choose their responses to different situations, enabling them to focus on what they can control and influence. This habit is rooted in the understanding that our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions. This is why proactive individuals tend to operate on the principles of initiative and responsibility. They foresee potential obstacles and plan accordingly, thus avoiding far more pitfalls than their reactive peers. By adopting a proactive approach, you can create a positive ripple effect in your personal and professional life - one that leads you to greater satisfaction and success.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

It's a good idea to always start a task with a clear understanding of your desired outcomes. This habit encourages you to set clear goals and work based on your values and long-term objectives. By envisioning the end result, you can create a detailed plan to achieve your aspirations. Of course, having a clear vision also allows you to more easily navigate life's decisions with purpose and direction. By identifying what you truly want in life and ensuring that your actions are aligned with achieving it, you can avoid distractions and staying focused on what truly matters. For example, successful individuals and organizations often begin with a mission statement that outlines their core values and desired outcomes. This is then used to guide all their actions and decisions.

Habit 3: First Things First

It's also a great idea to prioritize important tasks and manage your time to focus on activities that align with your goals. This habit is about organizing and executing decisions around your most important priorities. Combined with Habit 2, it helps to ensure that you allocate the right amount of time to what truly matters. Still, such effective prioritization requires distinguishing between what is urgent and what is important, focusing on tasks that contribute to your long-term goals rather than those that simply demand immediate attention. Techniques such as time-blocking and the Eisenhower Matrix can be very helpful in managing tasks efficiently. By consistently putting "first things first," you can build a disciplined approach to time management that enhances productivity and reduces stress.

Habit 4: Think "Win-Win"

Adopt a mindset that seeks mutual benefit in all relationships and interactions. Also known as win-win thinking, this involves understanding that others do not have to fail for one person to succeed. This habit fosters cooperation and positive outcomes for all parties, promoting a culture of mutual respect and collaboration. In business, for example, win-win negotiations can lead to stronger partnerships and more sustainable agreements. The same goes for employer-employee relationships. The point is: by cultivating a win-win attitude, you can create an environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to contribute their best efforts.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Effective communication starts with understanding others. That's why this habit emphasizes the importance of genuinely listening to others' perspectives before sharing your own. By putting yourself in other peoples' shoes and listening empathetically, you can build stronger, more trusting relationships. For example, the soft skill of empathetic listening involves paying attention to both verbal and non-verbal cues, thus showing that you truly value the other person's viewpoint. This approach not only helps in resolving conflicts, but also fosters a deeper connection and mutual respect.

Habit 6: Synergize

This habit encourages open-mindedness, creativity, and collaboration, leading to innovative solutions and enhanced teamwork. Synergy is the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, meaning that working together can yield results that would be completely impossible to achieve individually. After all, most managers know that embracing and leveraging each person's individual strengths can allow you can create more effective and efficient teams. On a broader scale, cultivating synergy involves fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and heard.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

To maintain and increase your effectiveness, you should invest in self-care and continuous learning in four key areas: physical, mental, spiritual, and social/emotional health. This habit ensures you remain balanced, refreshed, and capable of performing at your best. Regular self-renewal also helps in preventing burnout and maintaining a high level of performance. For example, physical renewal involves activities like exercise and healthy eating; mental renewal includes continuous learning and creative pursuits; spiritual renewal may involve meditation or reflection on core values; and social/emotional renewal includes building healthy relationships and social connections. By regularly "sharpening the saw," you sustain and enhance your ability to handle life's demands effectively.

Applying the 7 Habits in Daily Life

Mastering these habits requires dedication and practice, but they nonetheless offer a pathway to personal and professional growth. Indeed, integrating these habits into your daily routine can transform your approach to challenges and opportunities, leading to a more balanced and successful life. Whether you are navigating career advancements, personal relationships, or community engagements, these habits provide a robust framework for making positive and impactful decisions.

https://tinyurl.com/msktr6hh

Business Owner’s Guide: 20 Tips to Build Great Confidence

Success in any business endeavor can be elusive for professionals lacking the self-confidence needed to capitalize opportunities in front of them.


Stepping outside of your comfort zone is absolutely essential for long-term success and respect within your industry. As a business owner your confidence is necessary to close deals. Don’t believe it? Imaging walking into a car dealership and speaking to a sales associate who is unsure about the details of the car you’re considering purchasing. If the associate can’t confidently showcase the product to you, how can you ever be convinced to buy the car?

A research group from Melbourne Universityconducted a study examining career success of a group of diverse professionals. The research group examined professionals from Melbourne, New York and Toronto, concluding that confidence and self-esteem are key factors that are correlated to an individual's success. The study also found looks played a role in one’s confidence, lead researcher Dr. Reza Hasmath said: “We now know it’s actually higher confidence levels — which may be a byproduct of attractiveness and height — which make all the difference.” So while more attractive individuals feel confident due to social acceptance, for the rest of us, who don’t look like top models, it’s important to know we indeed can build our own confidence, here’s how.

Confidence is attainable. Building it requires adapting the key habits of successful professionals.

1. Have a solid plan: With an informed strategy you will know when to act on opportunities, but also when to deviate from the plan.

2. Shun discouragement: Obstacles are essential to entrepreneurship. Make a pact with yourself to approach them as learning opportunities. Don’t give up!
3. Set achievable goals: Success doesn’t mean perfection. Success is built one step at a time. It’s those early achievements that will be your foundation for continued success.

4. Take care of yourself: A healthy diet, exercise and adequate sleep will help you make the most of your day by keeping you focused. When you feel good it’ll reflect in your performance.

5. Do your homework: Research supports great decision making. Professional confidence means having a firm grasp on the ins and outs of your industry, which will also help you develop a great strategy.

6. Build business knowledge and skills: Knowledge gaps in your industry can lead to self-doubt, so work diligently on acquiring all of the skills pertinent to your profession.

7. Know your customers: Stay up to date with customer trends through publications and surveys to gain a solid grasp of your market. Understanding your audience will immensely help you speak to their questions, needs and concerns.

8. Learn your marketplace: Analyze your standing in the industry to understand where you are now, and where you should go next.

9. Develop communication skills: Listen carefully and don’t be afraid to be yourself. This will help you develop your own assertive voice.

10. Celebrate your wins: Reward yourself to reinforce the positive habits that lead to enhanced confidence. Also, avoid putting yourself under too much stress.

11. Build your own network: Surrounding yourself with supportive people such as friends, family and successful colleagues. This will create a safety net of reliable connections.

12. Quickly move on from your mistakes and poor decisions: Learn from your past mistakes. Moving on from your errors will help you avoid being discouraged.

13. Network assertively: Develop a strong business network to create opportunities and strengthen your self-confidence.

14. Listen to success stories: Learning from precedents will help you avoid the mistakes of others and mimic their successful habits.

15. Knowledge is power: Evolve with the industry by staying up to date with new technology and methodology through books, classes and conversations with your contemporaries.

16. Watch your self-talk: It's perfectly okay to talk to yourself to motivate and encourage yourself. Validate your worth and abilities by developing a way to interpret the business world around you.

17. Learn to say no: Stress and depression often accompany passivity, which can hurt your confidence.

18. Dress for success: Your outward appearance is your first form of communication in a professional setting.

19.  Embrace customer testimonials: Encourage feedback from your clientele to affirm the effectiveness of your business strategy.

20. Small victories:  Pay attention to your mini accomplishments. You don’t always have to wait for your biggest accomplishment to give yourself credit and celebrate.

If your lack of confidence is hurting you professionally, then adopting these habits is just what your career needs. Confidence is attainable through practice and application, once you are able to assess your areas of improvement, try them out! By knowing where you need to improve you can effectively eliminate bad habits and emphasize good ones.

If you’re interested to see if you have business acumen, try our our business personality quiz.