Do More by Doing Less

After introductions in my ‘Leadership Excellence and Balanced Life’ workshops, I ask the participants, “Let me see a show of hands from people who feel that they have enough time to do everything they would like to do.” No one raises a hand. Then I ask, “Raise your hand if you would like to receive a promotion with a big raise during the next six months.” Everyone raises their hands. I will share the key to how you can position yourself for that promotion.

For companies to thrive in today’s highly competitive global economy, they must constantly adapt and change. They need ideas – creative ideas that drive growth and create competitive differentiation. Ideas are your key to enjoying a successful career in this century. Build a reputation for thinking creatively and management will seek you out for greater responsibilities and opportunities for career growth.

A typical response I receive from participants is, “Madan, with everything on my plate, I don’t have time to think.” Let us explore how we can address this. What I share below are not theoretical concepts but proven and practical ideas, based on other leaders’ and my own experiences.

The nature of the mind is to think, and it is thinking all the time. Creativity is the generation of novel ideas by connecting dots (knowledge) the way they have not been connected before - imagining things in a fresh light. Two processes take place in the brain for the generation of ideas. First, neurons make new connections instead of running along familiar paths. Second, access to those new connections is opened up. Both steps require the mind to be still, undisturbed, stress free. A stressed mind is not in a creative mode. It is in a survival mode.

The best way to still the mind is to get away. Howsoever short, take some personal time to exercise, or do what makes you happy. To allow myself to do this, I had to first revise the script that dictated how I played various life roles. I had to consciously remind myself that “when I take time for myself, I’m not shortchanging FedEx or my career, because FedEx is not paying me by the hour. It’s paying me for the creativity of my decisions and the quality of my leadership. I’m a better person and a better leader to be around when I’m not stressed.”

"At lunch I will go out and bike 20 miles. Then I’ll get back and all of a sudden, a thought comes to my brain, and I solve something I was struggling with. Goodnight (CEO of SAS) understands the innovative process, and there is a time built for it." - Mary Simmons, Principal Software Developer, SAS; FORTUNE, August 17, 2009

I leave the phone in my car when I’m walking in the woods. I just listen to the birds, the sounds of nature, and observe the foliage closely. On my desk I always keep a single fresh flower in a small vase. When I'm writing, I take a short break every 30 minutes to just look at the flower - its beauty, color combinations, the construction, the shape of the petals. This stills my mind and opens access to the thoughts I need for the next chapter. I call this my ‘flower meditation.’

"For many years, I’ve enjoyed the tranquility of the Smokey Mountains. It’s a place that quiets my soul while energizing me at the same time. I’ve taken my team there several times and have seen an interesting pattern. We arrive full of cares and problems we are currently dealing with. As we dive into solving “world hunger,” I always make sure we have lots of time to hike and enjoy the setting and majesty of the ancient mountains. Each time, I’ve found the “problems” become so much clearer and solutions emerge – not as we strain to solve them in a cramped conference room, but rather as we walk down the path and listen to the leaves and streams whisper." - Rob Carter, CIO, FedEx

Give yourself the permission to make yourself a priority every day. In our busy lives, it’s easy to put our self-care at the end of the list. You will experience for yourself that you are doing more for your career and your company’s growth by doing less, because you will be more creative.