Leadership Series: Common Traits of Successful Leaders. Trait #5 – Productive Habits

The Successful Leaders in my rich Habits Study forged what I call Productive Habits, These were habits that were tied to their Goals and Dreams.

In an effort to transform daily productive actions into daily habits, the Successful Leaders initially incorporated their daily Productive Activities onto their daily To-Do List. After about six weeks, these daily productive actions became daily Productive Habits and there was no longer a need to put them on their To-Do List.

What were some of the Daily Productive Habits of Successful Leaders?

• Daily Industry/Career Reading – Each morning, immediately upon waking up, the Successful Leaders in my Rich Habits Study devoted 30 minutes or more (often more) to technical reading – reading they needed to do in order to maintain or grow their knowledgebase.
• Daily Goal Habits – Goals are the transportation system for your dreams. They are the action steps you take in order for your vision, you dream, to become a reality. The Successful Leaders in my Rich Habits Study adopted certain habits that helped them achieve their career goals and dreams.
• Daily Health Habits – As I mentioned in a previous Leadership Article, daily aerobic exercise and eating healthy, nutritious food helps Successful Leaders to maintain high energy levels throughout the day, which enables them to focus. When you’re tired, you lose your focus and make bad decisions, so it is critical for Successful Leaders to have high energy levels during the workday, in order to focus and in order to make the best thought-out decisions, which also require focus.
• Trust-Building Habits – When those you work with trust you, they will want to do business with you. When you breach that trust, they will take their business elsewhere. One powerful habit that builds trust is being responsive to employees you manage, customers/clients and other business partners, such as vendors, enables you to maintain strong, Trust-Based Relationships. Being consistently truthful is also another powerful Trust-Building Habit of Successful Leaders.
• Saying NO Habit – Time Scarcity is a problem every Successful Leader must learn to live with. Because their time is so limited, Successful Leaders make a habit of saying NO to individuals, projects or initiatives that do not help the Leader and their company move forward in realizing Goals/Dreams.
• Results-Focused Habits – Results matter. Results tell Successful Leaders what works and what does not work. If a Leader is feeling frustrated because what his team or company are doing isn’t producing the results the Successful Leader wants, that is when the Leader knows his team/company are doing the wrong things. Successful Leaders learn when it’s time to cut bait or pivot in order to get the results they desire. And these Leaders know that when you do the right thing, the thing that works, you get the results you want.