Seth Godin's Blog - March 13, 2011

Seven questions for leaders

Do you let the facts get in the way of a good story?

What do you do with people who disagree with you... do you call them names in order to shut them down?

Are you open to multiple points of view or you demand compliance and uniformity? [Bonus: Are you willing to walk away from a project or customer or employee who has values that don't match yours?]

Is it okay if someone else gets the credit?

How often are you able to change your position?

Do you have a goal that can be reached in multiple ways?

If someone else can get us there faster, are you willing to let them?

No textbook answers... It's easy to get tripped up by these. In fact, most leaders I know do.

Tips from Keith Ferrazzi

Tip 240 - The 15-Minute Secret to Outstanding Individual Effectiveness

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Almost all of you, I’m willing to bet, have a “morning ritual.” But how many of you have created one by design? This is so important to individual effectiveness, for everyone but especially for entrepreneurs who work independently or at home. 

 

I first became aware of the idea when interviewing a pair of salesmen for Who’s Got Your Back. Together, they did an early morning gym session followed by a brainstorm, a process they called “day-righting.” After about a month of this routine, the team told me they saw dramatic improvements in their business and their lives.

So, what’s your version of day-righting? I travel so much and keep such an erratic schedule that my day-righting isn’t so much a morning process as a daily commitment to an hour-long workout, usually a social one, wherever I am.

 

But for those of you who start every morning at a fairly reliable time, I guarantee that designing a morning ritual will help you be more relaxed, more focused, and more productive throughout the day.

 

Here are some ideas to play with:

• Exercise: You may not be a “morning exerciser” or have time for a full session, but even 10 minutes of movement (a high-intensity run or a yoga session) can prepare you for solid thinking.
• Journaling: Spend 5 minutes reflecting in writing on the past day/night, and 5 minutes jotting down your expectations for today.
• Meditation: I never found meditation to be practical as a daily activity until I went to Thailand, where I learned how to blend meditation and pre-existing routines. (Read about that here.)
• Breathing: Breathe in deeply. Hold it in. Exhale. Hold it out. Repeat 10 times. This itself is a form of meditation.

Please join me on the blog to exchange your tips and “day-righting” best practices with the rest of the community.

 

Warmest,
Keith

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Who is he?

Keith Ferrazzi

#1 NY Times Bestselling Author of Never Eat Alone and Who’s Got Your Back

CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight, Inc.

Chairman, www.RelationshipMastersAcademy.com