The Habit Most Leaders Forget

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Excellence = Mastery

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle

Excellence is not something you achieve. It's something you strive for, continuously. Excellence is a mindset.

If you've been following my newsletter for some time, you will note that I write about Excellence and Mastery quite often. I can't help it. It's a passion of mine.

Excellence and Mastery are elusive because there is always something that you could do better.

As I say, "In the next five minutes, everything can change. Be in excellence in all things that you do."

More Habits

But what enables us to strive for excellence?

Stephen R. Covey gave us "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". I was first introduced to Covey as a relatively new partner at one of the world's top accounting and consulting firms, BDO USA.

I refer to The 7 Habits often in my work, helping CEOs and Managing Partners have more clarity so they can have greater success and freedom.

There's one habit, though, that I must admit I have paid little attention to in the past. And every time I did, I paid for it dearly.

Self-Renewal

I was on the phone the other day with a client. He was feeling stressed because he felt like he wasn't making any headway on his to-do list.

He was feeling anxious, and he felt like he was letting his clients and his team down because of it. This led him to feel like he wasn't up to the task as the leader.

Have you ever felt this way?

My advice was simple.

Recently, on the Accounting Influencers Podcast, I shared some tips on how to be a better leader. One of the most important ways to be at your best is to slow things down and center yourself. Here are a few snippets from the interview:

10:25 - Breath control can make you a better leader!

16:30 - Recharge your Leadership battery.

19:05 - Tips for mental wellness.

Focusing on self-renewal, what Covey called in his 7th Habit, "Sharpen the Saw", is the glue that holds it all together. It's the one habit that makes the others possible.

I see this time and time again. Busy leaders find it hard to make time for themselves.

Here's the thing: Your to-do list will never go away. There will always be some urgent matter that requires your attention.

Staring at your to-do list day after day only heightens your anxiety. So do something about it. Chunk it down.

The Next 5 Minutes

Excellence is the next five minutes. - Tom Peters

Start with the most pressing and urgent matter that impacts you and your company most. Then, rank your items based on impact and urgency.

Then look at the top three items on your list.

Map out or list the steps you need to take to solve this issue. Determine whether you need to delegate all or part of it.

Take action in the next five minutes. What is the next best action step to progress it forward?

As you begin to take action, you will gain momentum, and you may find that resolving the issue and clearing it off your list actually took less time than you feared.

Along the way, give yourself some grace to find time on your calendar to recharge your battery (16:30—Recharge).

Sharpen your saw and embrace a habit of regular renewal. Doing so enables you to bring fresh ideas and solutions to every problem you face.

Until next time!

P.S. If you find some valuable nuggets in the podcast interview, reach out to me, and let's schedule a brief call. I'd love to share more ideas with you. Click here to get on my calendar.

Leading in uncertain and complex times is challenging. What separates good leaders from great ones is the 'inner game' or mindset of leadership. CEO Sensei, former BDO managing partner, and martial arts blackbelt, John Fenton is one of the few who address this critical aspect of leading well. A passionate, experienced, and articulate 'leader of leaders', John's unique methodology brings clarity, pragmatism, and encouragement to today's managing partners, board executives, and CEOs. He is an award-winning speaker, a heart attack survivor, and the author of the bestselling book,?"5 Minute Mastery?, The Surprising Secrets for Transforming Your Stress to Success and Mastering What’s Important."