20 Executives Tell What They Do Every
Day to Succeed
Ever wonder
what the most successful people are doing differently than everyone else? It's not so much about a
better education, a robust network of connections, or more open doors as it is about doing the right
things day in and out. Here are the habits 20 executives say they
incorporate into their lives every day that make the biggest difference when it
comes to getting and staying ahead.
1. Don't accept complaints you can't resolve.
"Get into
the habit of not accepting random complaints about people or things that don't
directly concern you or have immediate resolution. Chronic, random
complaining creates a negative energy that counteracts productivity. Hold people accountable for
their complaints, and encourage them to direct them to the places where they
can get resolved. Don't allow your office to be a dumping ground."
--Noelle
Federico, CFO of the stock photography site Dreamstime.com, which
boasts more than 12.5 million active users
2. Dress the part.
"When you look good, you feel good. That
mantra is something I strive to abide by, whether I am meeting with clients or
enjoying lunch on Miami's coast. When you feel good, you radiate that
confidence in such a positive way, and I think it is such a great attribute to
have and to feel when you are meeting new people or just in day-to-day business
endeavors."
--Tim Lobanov,
managing director of Verzasca Group, a South
Florida-based residential and commercial real estate development firm
3. Read the news.
"Always know what's happening, not just
in your industry but around the world. Just because you operate in one industry
doesn't mean another doesn't have an indirect impact on your business. It's
important to be aware of worldly events and, of course, be aware of what
your competitors are doing."
--Michael
MacDonald, chairman and CEO of weight-loss program company Medifast
4. Really listen.
"I read once that one of Abraham
Lincoln's best qualities was that he was a great listener. I think teams that
accomplish the most have leaders who spend a lot of time listening."
5. Pick a theme song for the day.
"I pick a song that can play in the back
of my mind, harness my energy, and give me focus for the day. My
suggestions--for a major meeting: 'Ready or Not' by the Fugees; to get pumped
up: 'Lose Yourself' by Eminem; and to focus and be productive: 'Exit
Music' by Radiohead."
--Elizabeth
McMillan, CEO of Dictionary.com, which has garnered more than 100 million mobile app downloads
6. Break down barriers.
"In my new role as CEO, I came in with a
true desire to immediately get face time with the staff as a whole, in small
groups, and one to one. I wanted to break down barriers and not stand on the
sidelines, with the objectives of letting the staff get to know me and open up
to me, while at the same time getting the team to start [becoming]
cross-functional allies. My style is not to get mired in details but to provide
vision and set priorities, and then empower the full organization to move
forward on execution."
--Michel Veys,
CEO of cloud-based voice and text platform CallFire
7. Take control of your email.
"It's important to have a strategy for
quickly handling your email to ensure the day is not dictated by the sheer
volume of it. With every email that comes in, I make a conscious decision to
act immediately, delegate, flag for followup, or do nothing. One important
consideration is for leaders not to automatically respond to emails that others
should address. While challenging, this has a high payoff in making others
accountable."
--Beth
Gerstein, co-founder of Brilliant
Earth, the global leader in responsibly sourced
fine jewelry
8. Clear your mind.
"Every day will present a new challenge,
roadblock, or setback that can translate into stress. I'm a big believer
in taking time out to do what you love. For me, that's hockey. Hitting the ice
often helps me clear my head and focus."
--Mark
Ghermezian, CEO and co-founder of mobile marketing and CRM companyAppboy
9. Focus on balance.
"Almost all people in successful
leadership positions are highly motivated and thrive on the challenges, but
often, without warning, you find that you have allowed things to get out of
balance, becoming almost one dimensional. Over time, this situation makes you
far less effective, especially outside of the day-to-day work environment. You
have to make time for other interests. Set aside time for breakfast with your
spouse, make sure you work out and stay healthy, and have a hobby that is
completely unrelated to your career. It helps make you a more satisfied,
effective, and interesting person."
--Bill Lutz,
CFO of Advanced Technology Services, a productivity and profitability service for manufacturers that
provides managed services of production equipment maintenance, industrial parts
services, and IT solutions
10. Help people each day with the full
breadth of your capacity.
"This pays more than you expect in that
you're banking energy in hundreds of micro investments that turn into fruit
when you need it most."
--Dane
Atkinson, CEO of SumAll, a data
analytics tool that allows customers to view all of their social media,
e-commerce, advertising, e-mail, and traffic data in one visualization
11. Listen to classical tunes.
"On the way to work, I always listen to
classical music, not for a relaxing experience, but rather a cleansing of the
mind. For me, it helps stimulate ideas and starts my day off with confidence no
matter the challenges the day might bring."
--Lior
Rachmany, CEO and founder of Dumbo Moving +
Storage, a New York City-area residential moving and storage company
12. Plan a trip.
"It is a great escape for me to plan a
destination trip and then make arrangements, learn about the culture, pick up
basic language skills, and make reservations to great restaurants or sites.
Each day, it allows me something to look forward to and gives me perspective
that work should not dominate your life. It helps remind me that I work to
live, not live to work, and having an escape on my calendar gives me
the opportunity to work hard with a reward in sight."
--Lance
Leonard, CEO of True Drinks, and founder of AquaBall, a naturally flavored, zero calorie and zero
sugar children's beverage
13. Leverage the commute.
"Find some podcasts or online courses
that you can listen to on your way to or from the office and build up knowledge
that while tangential, can help spark ideas for your business too."
--Alexander
Goldstein, CEO of Eligo Energy, a
Chicago-based technology-driven energy company that provides electricity to
residential and commercial customers in deregulated states
14. Listen to your rested mind.
"I've wrestled thorny issues many times
late into the night. I go to bed exhausted thinking I have a good answer, only
to find a better one waiting for me early the next morning, when I have a
rested and clear head. Whenever possible, I avoid sending important emails or
making key decisions late at night."
--Eric Grosse,
CEO and co-founder of Chairish, the online
curated marketplace for vintage and used furniture and décor
15. Get an idea out of your head and onto
paper.
"Ideas are great, but when they are
in your head they do not seem real and rarely happen, so every day I get an
idea onto paper or my screen. It can be related to anything happening
around me--an idea from a conversation or an observation or seemingly out of
nowhere. I just make it more tangible so I always have something new to
write about, talk about, or innovate around."
--Kieran
Flanagan, co-founder of The
Impossible Institute, a think tank that helps
small businesses, entrepreneurs, and large organizations, from the
United Nations to Coca-Cola and MTV, think differently
16. Ask questions.
"[It] opens the doorways of
possibilities that you have never seen before. I ask every day, 'What else is
possible? How does it get any better than this?' It is amazing what solutions,
ideas, and possibilities show up when you take the time to ask
questions."
--Dr. Dain
Heer, co-creator of Access Consciousness and best-selling author of several books, including Being You, Changing the World
17. Do not seek perfection.
"My happiness no longer depends on
having the perfect job or the perfect career. It is about the joy of creation.
When I don't focus all of my energy on trying to get it 'right,' the
possibilities multiply and expansion comes more easily."
--Lisa Henriksson, model,
author, and CEO and founder of several companies, including Wisdom Stockholm
and yoga and health centers Egen Tid
18. Position others for success.
"Each day, I try to put employees in a
position of success by creating an environment that feeds upon their most
basic, innate needs: responsibility, opportunity, and respect."
--Jeff
Winsper, president and founder of Black Ink, a customer
analytics platform for sales, marketing, and financial professionals to improve
marketing performance
19. Make direct eye contact.
"In this world filled with opportunities
for distraction, a very important sign of respect for another human being is to
give them your full attention. It is a powerful person who can maintain
eye contact, and it demonstrates confidence and a willingness to let yourself
really see them."
--Karen
Jacobsen, motivational speaker, singer, and voice in more than 400 million GPS
and smartphone devices, whose empowerment
brand shows how to "recalculate" to
get what you want no matter what
20. Meet with a mentor.
"CEOs and business leaders should have
mentors to help keep them on track. Mentors can create clarity at the times you
need it most, and help you find easy solutions that are challenging to see for
yourself when you are in the weeds or feeling pressure."
--Meg Sheetz,
CEO of Take Shape for Life, the direct selling division of Medifast that offers clients a free
personal health coach and mentor to help them lose weight and cultivate lasting,
healthy habits
BY CHRISTINA DESMARAIS
http://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/20-executives-tel-they-do-every-day-to-succeed.html?cid=em01014week52a
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