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- Time Management Strategies for Busy Leaders
Being busy isn’t a badge of honor. However, having a system that maximizes your time is.
Larry Winget said, “It’s not that we don’t have time. It’s that we don’t have time for the things that are really important. There’s always enough time to do what’s really important, but we get caught up doing things that aren’t important.“
If you want to improve your time management and prioritization skills, this week is for you.
I. Managers track time and a task list. Leaders follow their energy and priorities.
What it means:
If you are like most managers, you attempt to manage your time and tasks with a clock, calendar, and a long list of “to-do’s.” While this approach makes sense, it doesn’t work because your personal and professional life is complex.
The sea of complexity at work and home makes a perfect schedule with a start and end time impossible. It also makes ignoring a plethora of interruptions impossible.
This is not to say you should use a calendar or be on time for meetings; you should. However, your calendar should reflect where you get and give energy and align with your team’s priorities.
II. Success isn’t about getting more things done, it’s about doing more worthwhile things
What it means:
A priority is a responsibility that is deemed more important than others in the context of effective time management. These are the areas of focus that, if you complete worthwhile tasks, will move you closer to achieving your goals.
It is nearly impossible to do more worthwhile things if you aren’t clear about your priorities. In the 64-Day Excellence Planner (the digital version of which is available for only $19.99 this month), I coach leaders and high performers to define their priorities by month but write them down daily because they can change.
III. You can be efficient with things but not people. With people, you must be effective.
What it means:
If you’re a leader, you are in the people business. This means your world can’t be built around automating tasks or processes. You can optimize many things, but relationships aren’t one of them. Because improving relationships with team members requires time.
When we had our first child almost 13 years ago, a mentor told me something I will never forget, “Kids spell love TIME.” Many years later, I understand that your team members spell care in a similar way.
Giving colleagues your time and undivided attention demonstrates that you care about them and make them a priority.
Keep Leading Your Best,
John Eades | CEO LearnLoft
The 64-Day Excellence Planner
The odds are that you started this year with all the right intentions, goals, and maybe even a plan, but you have not executed well on that to date. While no planner can do the work for you, the 64-Day Excellence Planner will help.
Now is the time to turn your focus and productivity around. Introducing the 64-Day Excellence Planner, meticulously crafted to mirror the strategies of high performers. Select the planner or program that best fits your needs and use the code “newsletter” to get 20% off.
64-Day Excellence Planner (Digital only $19.99 this month)
64-Day Excellence Planner Wirebound
64-Day Excellence Program
Have Dreams and Chase Them (Video)
Have dreams and chase them
Whether you accomplish your goals or not, it will make something out of you to achieve them.
Today’s Leadership Poll - Provide Insight and Win
Last week, 73% of you said encouragement has been “a lot” or “a little” important to your professional success. Take that as a prompt to encourage someone else today.
Provide your insight into today’s poll and be entered to win a free digital copy of the 64-Day Excellence Planner. This is your last chance to enter in July.
What's the most challenging part of effective time management? |
Here are some ways we could work together:
Roll out the Accelerate Leadership System - Only 15% of new managers receive training, and 60% of leaders fail within 18 months. Instead of hoping your most talented people figure out how to be leaders, now is the time to show them how. Introducing the Accelerate Leadership System: Provide your managers with the foundation to be successful with tailored examples, tools, and stories to fit your company culture. Ideal for managers, supervisors, and executives in groups of 8+.
Skill Mastery Workshops - Provide 2-hour virtual or in-person skill mastery workshops to groups of 8+. Focus on skills like Accountability, Coaching, Relationship Building, Strategic Decision Making, Time Management, Team Execution, Retention, Recruiting, Leadership Fundamentals, or Change Management.
1:1 Executive Leadership Coaching—Get 1:1 coaching to improve performance. Coaching programs are six months long and include a LearnLoft-certified coach. They are perfect for one executive or a group of executives who aren’t meeting their potential.
Speaking - We’re now booking keynotes for Q3 & Q4. Reply to this note or fill out the form here, and our team will be in touch to discuss topics, availability, and pricing.
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