Sunday, June 21, 2009

How to Improve Your Leadership

Want to know how to improve your leadership or your productivity? One percent at a time ...

Who says one percent isn’t significant? A one percent gain may seem modest but it’s measurable. Over time a series of one percent gains add up. And combined with other coaching successes, their multiplying effect can be impressive.

Jesus told an old friend, “Only one thing is necessary.” One simple thing … paid attention to, can make a big difference.

A one percent improvement is very achievable, even for busy people. One percent a month over ten months is a ten percent improvement. Ten percent is significant.

You can make one percent improvements. Like achieving anything, you must be intentional about it. You must make a decision to do it. Once you do, you will find out that you can achieve significantly more. Imagine what this means to the projects, programs, causes and career that you really care about.

For example, at the beginning of every coaching engagement, our clients begin to work through our book, 52 Solutions for Those Who Need a 25 Hour Day. From the 52 practices that can improve personal effectiveness, they choose the two or three that if implemented, can make the biggest difference in helping them move forward their priorities. This includes simple practices like:

  • Conquering the to-do list

  • Embracing failure

  • Preparing for people who don’t understand

  • Rejecting busyness as a bragging point

  • Planning for the unexpected


From then on throughout our coaching engagement, the routine is simple. Parallel to our coaching, clients identify and implement better thinking, habits and practices week after week. When one of the 52 becomes habit, they turn attention to another. It isn’t long before clients experience even greater effectiveness, less stress and better results.

We can all do better. The wisest leaders get this and they move forward. Revisiting and reapplying basic strategies and techniques drives greater personal, professional and organizational effectiveness and creates space for renewed vision and energy.

Paying attention to basics reaps dividends in work, life and leadership. It may seem simplistic to challenge an executive, leader or anyone else to make a 1% improvement, but the results are worth any feeling of embarrassment it might foster. So I am challenging you to make a 1% improvement. Use my book 52 Solutions if it will be of assistance.

Go on to make a whole series of 1% improvements and pretty soon you will see a significant difference in how you work and what you achieve. By the way, I am not embarrassed. I know you will like the results.

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