21 Executives Share the Daily
Routines That Help Them Succeed
Being intentional about simple routines makes all the difference.
The most successful people I know make navigating
business and life look easy, often because they have their crap together more
than most people. They get up early, stay in front of health issues, and are
smart about money. They know the value of a good night's
sleep, a restorative
vacation, and a well-written book. And they stick to
certain routines proven over time to work. Check out these quotes from 21
successful executives who credit simple daily
habits for helping them get ahead in business
and life.
1. Do more than is expected of you.
"This
should apply to every part of your life. By always doing more than is expected,
you will create a valuable personal brand of competency, excellence, and
reliability. Over-delivering encourages ongoing next steps as people will
always want to engage with you. Simply anticipate people's needs and requests,
then take them to the next level. If your boss asks you to think of a great
gift for a client, don't suggest only one--create a folder of several
gifts with all the details. If your significant other asks you to vacuum the
bedroom, vacuum the whole house. Give every request--no matter the investment
it requires--the same level of attention because once you make over-delivering
a habit, you'll find yourself more motivated and more successful in every area
of your life." --Ric Militi, CEO of the
technology think tank Crazy Raccoons, developers of Zip--The Question Answer App, which has garnered 10 million engagements since its
launch six months ago.
2. Be the first one in the office.
"I
love being the first person in the door in the morning. It gives me time to
focus, draw up my priorities for the day ahead, connect with key reports in
different time zones, and clear urgent emails. I feel ahead and on top of
things if I get in early." --James
Thornton, managing director of Intrepid Travel, a global adventure travel company that offers more than
a thousand trips in more than a hundred countries.
3. Connect with family every day.
"Staying
connected to my family allows me to maintain a sense of balance at all times. I
talk with my family daily at the same time no matter where I am in the world--7
a.m. Eastern with my youngest son and my wife. I talk with my wife again in the
evening and text my other son and daughter throughout the day." --Bill Linehan, EVP and CMO of RLHC, a hospitality company engaged in the franchising,
management, and ownership of upscale, midscale, and economy hotels under the
Hotel RL, Red Lion Hotel, Red Lion Inn and Suites, GuestHouse
International, and Settle Inn brands.
4. Meander through the building several times
a day.
"Having
face time and genuine conversation with the team is where I generate
inspiration. I walk the company floors multiple times a day to chat with the
team and learn about the company's activities. It helps keep me
stay connected on every level of our business." --Clayton Reid, president and CEO of MMGY Global, a global marketing firm specializing in the travel,
hospitality, and entertainment industries.
5. Make time for family and health.
"When
I started Rocketrip, I thought carefully about the things that are most
important to me and keep me at my best: focusing attention on my family and on
my health. I carve out time each day to spend with my wife and new baby, and I
make sure to exercise several days a week, even if that means getting up
earlier than I'd like. Whatever you need to keep yourself balanced, make sure
you carve out time for it, even at your busiest times." --Dan Ruch, CEO of Rocketrip,
which helps companies reduce travel expenses by incentivizing employees to
save on their business trips.
6. Compliment others.
"Once
or twice a day, I make it a point to really thank someone in a sincere and
meaningful way. Earlier I had a phone conversation with a representative and I
told him how impressed I was with the calm manner in which he spoke, as well as
the clarity of his voice. He said in return how nice that was to hear. It felt
great." --Evan Hackel, author of the book Ingaging
Leadership and CEO of Tortal Training,
which specializes in developing interactive eLearning solutions.
7. Make someone laugh.
"Perhaps
it is the stand-up comedian in me, but every day I look for the funny side of
something. Comedy, after all, is telling of the truth in a way people can hear
it. If you want to challenge the status quo, finding a way to laugh about the
crazy way we currently do things is a great place to start." --Dan Gregory, speaker, author of Selfish,
Scared and Stupid and co-founder of The Impossible
Institute, an innovation think tank that has worked
with big brands including Coca-Cola and the United Nations.
8. Make Connections.
"I
try to meet someone new every day. Whether it's a prospective client, a
potential hire, a professional contact, or someone new in our neighborhood, I
try to make a new connection and potential friend. It grows my personal
and professional network while expanding my knowledge and perspective." --Andrew Fischer, CEO and founder of Choozle, a digital marketing platform that simplifies data
and online advertising and in 2015 tripled its team and grew revenues 650
percent.
9. Show up.
"There
are some things you just can't phone in, and real-time direction in the
execution phase of a project leads the list. I'm not telling you to
micromanage. What I'm saying is that your physical or verbal presence in the
middle of the action lends strength to the cause and brings focus to the
direction. My business adaptation of Newton's first law of physics is
this: 'People and objects in motion tend to remain in motion, and people and
objects at rest tend to remain at rest until acted upon by an outside force.'
You, of course, are that force. Sometimes you can actually have impact by
showing up and saying nothing. Sometimes, the silent power of your respected
leadership presence will tend to organize the effort and pick up the
pace." --Bert Thornton, former president and COO
of Waffle House,
Inc., and author of Find
an Old Gorilla.
10. Sort your company mail.
"I
was advised by a client early in my career to spend a few minutes each day
sorting through incoming mail. When I saw him do this, I found it extremely
strange that the CEO of a large real estate brokerage firm was sorting postal
deliveries, and now many of my employees find this unusual about me. He said,
'I want to know what's coming into our firm.' As outdated as it may seem,
keeping a close eye on the incoming mail helps keep me attuned to the inner
workings of my office." --Sarah
Berman, president of The
Berman Group, a corporate communications firm delivering
business-to-business marketing, public relations, and special events services
in New York City.
11. Keep reminders by your bedside.
"I
always keep two things next to my bed: my cell phone and my workout shoes. As
soon as I get up, I check my phone to see if there are any important messages
that I need to reply back to. Since many of my remote teams work in different
time zones, scanning my emails keeps me in the loop of what I can expect for
the day. I also keep running shoes next to my bed to motivate me to start
my morning workout, which helps me feel great and stay focused all through the
day." --Kishore Kumar, CEO of personal gadget
assistant app AllThingsMine.
12. Turn crises into opportunities.
"A
crisis can actually be good for you. During times of crisis you can motivate
yourself and the people around you to make impactful, positive changes. This is
exactly why the things that don't kill you make you stronger. Crises are great
times to get people on board to make permanent changes in your
organization." --Aytekin Tank, founder
of JotForm, an online form builder with two million users.
13. Focus on your "done" list as
much as your "to-do" list.
"A
few years ago I worked with an executive coach who had helped astronauts,
members of special forces, and high-altitude climbers deal with high
levels of stress. One trick she gave me was both very simple and very powerful:
At the end of each day, make a list of all the things you have actually done
that day. Not just the ones that were on your to-do list but also all the ones
you have done that you had not planned on doing. And at the end of each week
add these lists together. You will be impressed by the amount of things you
actually accomplish. The dopamine you will get out of it will somewhat help you
balance all the cortisol your stress is producing." --Emmanuel Schalit, CEO of password manager and secure
digital wallet app Dashlane.
14. Map out your day.
"Start
your day off by blocking out 30 minutes to game plan exactly what you need to
get accomplished, and how you're going to accomplish it. This has always helped
me begin every morning with a sense of calm and focus because we all know it
won't stay that way. Keeping perspective on what's important can help you
end each day with a positive sense of accomplishment." --Craig Howe, CEO of sports digital strategy and tech
venture firm, Rebel
Ventures.
15. Don't just direct
traffic--grow leaders.
"I
operate under a single fundamental principle with everyone I work with: I
will never ask anyone to do something that I would not do myself. In most
instances, with a little
guidance and some mentoring, almost every person will rise above your expectations regardless
of the task requested. Taking the time to coach, mentor, and
provide counsel to your people creates leaders for the future. For
me, the best part of being a leader is watching the people you work
with grow to become something more, as they prepare for the next big role
in their career." --Daniel Farrer, CEO
of Switchfly, a global technology company that powers travel
commerce.
16. Embrace change.
"Most
C-level executives have a complete and utter fear of change. They are so
fearful, in fact, that they are frozen, unable to make the tough decisions
needed to successfully manage their companies. I start every day by focusing on
the excitement and growth that can result from change. My advice to other
managers: don't allow yourself to be paralyzed by nervousness and indecision.
Embrace change!" --Tom Lounibos, co-founder and CEO
of SOASTA, a digital performance management platform that delivers
cloud-based, analytics-driven solutions for digital businesses.
17. Stop intimidating your prospects.
"Especially
in technology, success depends on communicating consistently and frequently
with prospects and customers, a personal priority for me every day. This is
particularly vital when targeting traditional industries such as construction,
agriculture, and education, where there is often resistance to the adoption of
technical solutions because users can find them intimidating. My solution to
overcoming this 'intimidation factor' is to focus on the many benefits
technology can provide, not product features." --Suri Suriyakumar, CEO of ARC Document
Solutions, which provides technology and services
focused on document and information management for the architectural,
engineering, and construction industry.
18. Create thinking time.
"I
carve out 30 minutes at the start of the day to just think through what the day
will hold, and try to solve difficult issues. No pens or pencils or keyboards
allowed. This private thinking time lets me really focus, without distractions,
and helps me get mentally prepared for the day ahead." --Tanya Candia, CMO of NSFOCUS, a global provider of network security and advanced
analytics utilized by four of the world's top five banks and major
telecommunications companies.
19. Keep feedback constant and ongoing.
"Don't
wait for the annual or bi-annual review cycle--provide feedback to team members
in real-time and as often as possible, and be open to feedback in real-time as
well. This will foster a collaborative sentiment within the company and help
people see that things are running smoothly and on-task. Additionally,
employees are often more productive and happy when they're being recognized for
the good work they're doing." --Manish
Sood, CEO and founder of data-driven applications company Reltio.
20. Always think strategically, even while
operating tactically.
"Strategists
must think about the operational implications of their recommendations, and
front-line managers should build off of strategy. Sure, there are separate
skills involved. But in this dynamic environment, where everything from market
conditions to platform technologies can turn on a dime, it's important for all
executives to understand both sides of this shrinking divide." --Eric Chiu, president and co-founder of cloud
security and control company HyTrust, which saw revenues triple in
2015.
21. Speak to key employees every day.
"I
make sure to speak with each key employee every day to find out what they're
working on, what issues have come up, and if they're having any current
struggles. By keeping it from being rote, it is eye-opening, rewarding, and
helps eliminate problems before they arise." --Craig Dunaway, president of Penn Station East Coast Subs, a sandwich franchise with almost 300 locations.
BY CHRISTINA DESMARAIS
http://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/the-daily-habits-of-21-highly-successful-people.html?cid=em01020week13a
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