28 Jun 7 Rituals of Successful CEOs and Leaders
Whether you’re at the infancy of your career, you’re wandering through the waters of middle management, or you’re on the cusp of emerging as your organisation’s leader of the future, identifying and understanding effective rituals of successful CEOs and leaders is a great way of forging your own path. With that in mind, here are 7 rituals of successful CEOs.
Prioritise being well-rested
This may seem like an odd ritual to start with, given that when you envision successful people, you’d assume for them to be these herculean individuals who require no rest to go about their days running the world. You’d be surprised, however, at how many successful CEOs and leaders actually see rest as a key part of their success.
Most notably, Arianna Huffington, the renowned co-founder of the Huffington Post, in an interview with Inc., highlighted the importance of getting a good night’s sleep to improve overall health and productivity. The key takeaway here? Prioritise getting quality z’s if you’d like to be a more successful leader.
Be passionate and act as an ambassador for what you do
Passion is something that every successful leader possesses. That’s pretty straightforward because if you don’t believe in what you do, you really shouldn’t be doing it, let alone be a leader. However, passion is only half of what’s required – you also need to be able to promote what you do and be a living embodiment of your work.
Why does this matter? Naturally, part of being a leader is inspiring those around you. Being able to promote and represent what you do/love will lift everyone around you and within your team. Think about it – wouldn’t you follow a leader who believes and promotes their work over someone who is indifferent?
Block out time for emails
I and my fellow principal consultant, Mark, have worked with countless organisations comprising leaders who often complain about… (you guessed it) emails! Emails are no longer things we can just ignore. Missing important information in an email could set you back significantly. That being said, with the hundreds of emails pouring in every day, being able to manage this process becomes critical.
Many CEOs and leaders encourage individuals to set aside multiple chunks of 15-20 minutes each day, perhaps while taking a short break, to run through emails. This is a great way of staying up-to-date without having to spend an obscene amount of time scrolling through your inbox.
Having a feedback mechanism is one of the best rituals of successful CEOs
No matter how talented and skilled you are as an employee or as a leader, maintaining a continuous feedback mechanism is critical to driving excellence and success. Make it a habit to constantly seek out constructive feedback from peers and team members, in addition to having your own self-reflective feedback loop.
Remember, there’s always room for improvement and with the right combination of peer review and self-reflection, you can constantly get better as a leader.
Constantly ask yourself if what you’re doing makes you happy
Checking in with yourself on what’s going on in your head may seem strange at first but it’s worth pointing out that this approach is one practised by many successful CEOs, including the late Steve Jobs.
If you’re constantly finding yourself answering no to whether you’re doing what makes you happy, make changes.
Read.
Despite the many distractions that now surround us, reading is still by far one of the greatest ways of staying in check, being aware and constantly feeding your mind with knowledge. Don’t just stick to topics that impact you personally – look outward and learn more about the world – you may actually stumble upon something that could change your world!
Practice controlled meditation and breathing
When I tell our clients about meditation, I always highlight the importance of being at peace in your mind. Meditation doesn’t always have to be something you do in a quiet place or some distant place far away. It’s something that can be practised within the confines of your office, in a pleasant place such as a nearby garden or even on a bus or train while commuting. The key is living in the moment, dealing with the challenges of the day, and, most importantly, taking a second to breathe.
Make it a practice to take a moment out of your day, no matter how stressful, to calm your mind.
If you’re looking for more information on how to be a better leader and what steps/rituals of successful CEOs and leaders you need to adopt to get there, feel free to visit our website or contact us for more information. I and my fellow principal consultant, Mark, would be more than happy to work with you and/or personnel within your organisation. In the meantime, stay tuned to our blog for the latest insights on leadership.
