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The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Empathetic Communication

Summer is beginning to wind down, but I’m still receiving plenty of “out of office” notifications, and honestly I couldn’t be happier. I’m seeing more people prioritize their time and as a culture, I know we’re shifting to a more fulfilling way to work and live. 

It’s because of that shift that I wanted to take a moment to discuss communication and how we can be more intentional about the way we share information. Over the past few weeks I’ve shared ways to create boundaries around your own time and email habits, but today I wanted to give you a few pointers on how you can communicate in a way that allows your team to uphold those same boundaries you’re trying to implement for yourself, while still being productive. 

At the end of the day, it’s up to you as the leader to set the standard of how and when you communicate with your team. I’m hoping that these insights will give you some direction when making plans for upcoming projects.

Here are some key takeaways for creating empathetic communication habits:

  • The Power of Lean Communication: Get straight to the point in your subject lines, use concise language, and include a clear call to action. This approach not only grabs attention but also shows your commitment to helping others.
  • Start with Gratitude: Even if the previous communication wasn’t respectful, take the high road. Thank the other person for any information they provided. This sets a positive tone and fosters better results.
  • Clear Call to Action: Make it easy for others to respond and help you. Specify what you need, offer assistance, and set up a meeting to walk them through the details.
  • Respect Others’ Time: Keep emails short and to the point, with no more than five sentences. Include attachments for additional details and close with a respectful salutation.

By following this framework, you’ll not only be seen as an empathetic leader but also enjoy higher response rates. I encourage you to try these tips and see the difference they make.

If you are aspiring to the C-Suite, and tired of the hustle, are you ready to change how you work and implement these tips? 

If you are a business owner or C-Suite leader, are you ready to invest in your people and help them be successful? Their success is your success! 

Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action. I want you to succeed and this framework can enable you to do it yourself. 

However, if you need more help, I’m here for you as the Drop In CEO, CEO whisperer or as a sounding board. 

To hear more about my story about framework, please tune into my podcast that is releasing this Friday 7/28/23. 

Maybe you simply need a support system to apply these new insights. I find leaders need a place to talk through the challenges and that’s why I created The Drop In CEO Collective, a forum for C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow. To learn more about our next event you can visit our page and register. 

Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me via my website and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success. 

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Mastering the Art of Unplugging

This year, I’m embracing simplicity, and I’ve got three pillars to guide me: investing in myself, expanding my reach to help more of you, and prioritizing my well-being. I’m happy to report that my recent annual physical showed that these efforts are paying off!

One of the biggest challenges of prioritizing well-being can be the challenge of disconnecting from work, especially when on vacation. I’ve been there, constantly checking emails, and I know it’s a struggle. But I’ve learned that most emails can wait, and it’s all about discipline and time blocking. I’ve also learned the hard way that strategic work should be a priority. After a wake-up call in the form of a negative performance review, I took a course on understanding what’s important versus urgent and developed new strategies.

Here are a few of my top tips for prioritizing and managing time in the summer:

  • Take stock of your current workload and prepare your backup for your time away. It’s never too early to make sure your replacement has all of the information they need to be successful.
  • Prepare for your vacation by reaching out to your customers and internal stakeholders beforehand. Introduce them to your backup to ensure business continuity and peace of mind for everyone involved.
  • Try turning off your phone in the middle of the day. It’s a game-changer. You’ll be able to focus on creating lasting memories with your loved ones and leave a positive impression on those around you.

Remember, it’s not about being on top of your email, but about creating meaningful experiences. What legacy do you want to leave behind?

If you are aspiring to the C-Suite, and tired of the hustle, are you ready to change how you work and implement these tips? 

If you are a business owner or C-Suite leader, are you ready to invest in your people and help them be successful? Their success is your success! 

Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action. I want you to succeed and this framework can enable you to do it yourself. 

However, if you need more help, I’m here for you as the Drop In CEO, CEO whisperer or as a sounding board. 

To hear more about my story about framework, please tune into my podcast that is releasing this Friday 7/21/23. 

Maybe you simply need a support system to apply these new insights. I find leaders need a place to talk through the challenges and that’s why I created The Drop In CEO Collective, a forum for C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow. To learn more about our next event you can visit our page and register. 

Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me via my website and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success. 

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Why Do We Struggle to Take Vacations?

Vacations are not just a luxury, they are a necessity. Over the years I have realized that if I truly want to maintain consistency and productivity, I have to schedule mandatory breaks in my schedule. 

If you’re wondering why it seems so difficult to pry yourself away from work for more than a few hours at a time, you’re not alone. In fact, a Harvard study of 60,000 CEOs found that while they worked an average of 9.7 hours a day, over 70 percent of reported vacation days still included at least 2.5 hours of work. So even when they were supposedly taking a break, leaders were still checking in via email, taking work calls, and generally performing business. Sound familiar? 

It’s time to question our resistance to taking vacation and fully embrace the benefits that come with relaxation.

If you find yourself hesitant to submit your PTO request, I’ve got a framework of questions for you to reflect on:

  • How does it feel to have a clear mind?
  • How can you get more time for clarity? 
  • How do you define yourself?
  • How does your work define you?
  • What would happen if you took time off?
  • Would your team survive without you?
  • Have you set them up for success without you? 
  • Is your leadership style preventing you from taking a vacation?
  • What would life look like if you weren’t so tired? 

The answers to these questions will help you gain a better understanding of what’s holding you back from taking time away from your job and where you can start making decisions that move you forward.

If you are aspiring to the C-Suite, and tired of the hustle, are you ready to change how you work and implement these tips? 

If you are a business owner or C-Suite leader, are you ready to invest in your people and help them be successful? Their success is your success! 

Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action.

I want you to succeed and this framework can enable you to do it yourself. 

However, if you need more help, I’m here for you as the Drop In CEO, CEO whisperer or as a sounding board. 

To hear more about my story about framework, please tune into my podcast that is releasing this Friday 7/14/23. 

Maybe you simply need a support system to apply these new insights. I find leaders need a place to talk through the challenges and that’s why I created The Drop In CEO Collective, a forum for C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow. To learn more about our next event you can visit our page and register. 

Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me via my website and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success.

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Strategies for Staying Focused While Everyone’s on Vacation

As we all know, summer brings with it a whole new set of challenges when it comes to getting things done. The sun is shining, the beach is calling, and it feels like everyone and their dog is on vacation. It’s no wonder our productivity takes a hit during this time of year.

For example, I am having a challenge with a client, this client and trying to schedule a kickoff meeting. I’ve been met with vacations and all kinds of scheduling issues. In the end, the Project Lead agreed to push it off an entire month when we knew everyone was back from vacation. While it didn’t meet my own self-imposed sense of urgency, it was more important for the entire team to be present and rested. After all, the greater calling is to have people present and engaged. Starting something in haste just to check it off your list is not the true purpose. Your purpose is to guide others. And sometimes the timing may be different than when you planned it. You have to accept this. 

You cannot always be in control, but you can be in control of your discipline and patience with the process. When you start later, you’ll have the opportunity to show your skills and your leadership because you were patient with when to start the process. Leaders need discipline to know that timing is everything and sometimes the greater need for your people is patience.

Here’s a simple framework for practicing patience as a leader during the summer months:

Step 1: Accept the Situation

First things first, let’s acknowledge the reality of the situation. It’s summer, people are out enjoying their time off, and that means things might move a bit slower. Instead of fighting against it, embrace it. Accept that things may take longer than usual and use this as an opportunity to practice patience and flexibility.

Step 2: Take an Inventory of Your Goals

Now that we’ve accepted the summer slowdown, it’s time to reassess our goals. Take a moment to reflect on what you want to achieve during this period and prioritize your tasks accordingly. Maybe there are some projects that can be put on hold until things pick up again, or perhaps you can focus on those independent tasks that have been lingering on your to-do list.

Step 3: Get Back on Track

Okay, so we’ve accepted the situation and reevaluated our goals. Now it’s time to get back on track. Look at your schedule and identify those pockets of time where you can really make progress. Maybe it’s early mornings or late evenings when the distractions are minimal. Whatever it is, carve out that dedicated time for focused work and make the most of it.

Step 4: Catch Up on Independent Work

Summer is the perfect time to tackle those solo projects that require your undivided attention. With fewer interruptions and distractions, you can finally dive deep into that research, write that article, or revamp your website. Use this time to power through those tasks that don’t necessarily require the input or availability of others.

Step 5: Embrace the Personal

Last but certainly not least, don’t forget to embrace the personal side of summer. Take advantage of those longer evenings and sunny weekends to recharge your batteries and indulge in activities you enjoy.

If you are aspiring to the C-Suite, and tired of the hustle, are you ready to change how you work and implement these tips? 

If you are a business owner or C-Suite leader, are you ready to invest in your people and help them be successful? Their success is your success! 

Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action. I want you to succeed and this framework can enable you to do it yourself. 

However, if you need more help, I’m here for you as the Drop In CEO, CEO whisperer or as a sounding board. 

To hear more about my story about framework, please tune into my podcast that is releasing this Friday 7/7/23. 

Maybe you simply need a support system to apply these new insights. I find leaders need a place to talk through the challenges and that’s why I created The Drop In CEO Collective, a forum for C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow. To learn more about our next event you can visit our page and register. 

Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me via my website and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success. 

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Why is Mid-Year Evaluation Important for Your Goals?

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of achieving your goals? Do you feel like you’re off course and struggling to find your way back? When we hit the halfway point in the year, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by how much we still have to accomplish by the end of the year. Taking a moment to reflect and refocus is critical for avoiding burnout and optimizing our actions for better results. 

One of the ways we do this is by focusing on how closely our actions align with our purpose (one of the seven points of the CEO’s Compass.) Recently I sat down and tracked all of the business connections and opportunities I was creating and realized that only about 5% were truly aligned to the work I wanted to do. While other opportunities might be good financially or appealing to my creative side, they weren’t getting me closer to my ultimate goal. Understanding that allowed me to make decisions to utilize my time in ways that more closely aligned with my purpose, and while I can say no with confidence, I can also say YES to the right opportunities faster. 

Making fast, aligned decisions is easy when you run it through the first 5 points of the CEO’s Compass:

  • Purpose: Are your current actions aligned with your true purpose?
  • People: Do you have the right people with the right skills in place to lead them to success?
  • Performance: Performance is human centric. Are you utilizing the people around you (yourself, your team, and your community) in a way that gets you to your goal?
  • Process: Is your current process streamlined to get you where you need to go, or is there room for improvement?
  • Platform: Are you using the right tools for this process? How can technology help you?

Ask yourself these questions. Invest in yourself. If you already have your clearly defined actions and you are on track, Kudos to you. But if you found that people around you are not on track, consider sharing this article with them. Maybe talk to them about the CEO’s Compass – a tremendous resource that might get you unstuck from where you happen to be.

If you are aspiring to the C-Suite, and tired of the hustle, are you ready to change how you work and implement these tips? 

If you are a business owner or C-Suite leader, are you ready to invest in your people and help them be successful? Their success is your success! 

Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action. I want you to succeed and this framework can enable you to do it yourself. 

However, if you need more help, I’m here for you as the Drop In CEO, CEO whisperer or as a sounding board. 

To hear more about my story about framework, please tune into my podcast that is releasing this Friday 6/30/23. 

Maybe you simply need a support system to apply these new insights. I find leaders need a place to talk through the challenges and that’s why I created The Drop In CEO Collective, a forum for C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow. To learn more about our next event you can visit our page and register. 

Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me via my website and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success. 

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The Most Practical Framework for Assessing Your Career Goals

So often, we hustle and try to get the work done. We cover for people that are on vacation. We’re so busy trying to keep all the balls moving that we forget that we as leaders need time to pause and reflect. Are you feeling overwhelmed and unsure of your next steps in your career or business? Sometimes the most important thing you can do to move forward is taking breaks and zooming out to gain clarity and focus.

The hard truth is that if you fail to take breaks, circumstances may provide one for you. I never used to own up to this. I have been let go from jobs a handful of times, and I can tell you the time off was life changing for me. When I got away from the work at hand, I gained so much clarity. Each time I had to dust off my resume or pause to think about my guiding principles for the new opportunity that I was seeking, I gained so much insight. When you’re in a job and you’re zoomed in all the time, you don’t take the time to assess where you’re going. If you need to slow down or speed up or change course, it’s best to do it intentionally before life does it for you.  

I remember being let go from a job that I probably shouldn’t have taken to begin with, but the money was good. I soon realized that I would not pursue that line of work in the future because it did not feed my soul. And quite frankly, I was miserable. These breaks are so important, yet fail to take them intentionally. We would rather wait for life happens to us and reflect when we’re in crisis.

If you want to be intentional about your next break, I’ve created a simple framework to make the most of your time:

  • Ask your boss for feedback: Ask what you can start doing, stop doing, and change in order to be more successful in your current position.
  • Give actionable feedback: When sharing your observations with your team, make sure there are tangible outcomes for them to pursue. 
  • Identify your actions: Listen to feedback and choose 1 or 2 actions you can take in the next quarter and focus solely on those things.
  • Make those actions a habit: Once you’ve gone to all the effort of making a change, hold yourself accountable to make that change a habit for long-term success. Deb shares her personal experiences and provides a framework for setting intentions, assessing progress, and making changes. By focusing on one or two changes at a time, you can celebrate your progress and stay on course towards your goals.

In a world that values hustle and constant productivity, it’s easy to forget the importance of taking breaks and gaining clarity. It’s essential for leaders to reflect on their actions and make changes when necessary. So take a deep breath and zoom out. Your career or business will thank you for it.

If you are aspiring to the C-Suite, and tired of the hustle, are you ready to change how you work and implement these tips? 

If you are a business owner or C-Suite leader, are you ready to invest in your people and help them be successful? Their success is your success! 

Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action. I want you to succeed and this framework can enable you to do it yourself. 

However, if you need more help, I’m here for you as the Drop In CEO, CEO whisperer or as a sounding board. 

To hear more about my story about framework, please tune into my podcast that is releasing this Friday 6/23/23. 

Maybe you simply need a support system to apply these new insights. I find leaders need a place to talk through the challenges and that’s why I created The Drop In CEO Collective, a forum for C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow. To learn more about our next event you can visit our page and register. 

Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me via my website and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success. 

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Stop the Hustle! Why C-Suite leaders work smarter and get promoted faster

Did I just say that? Did I dispel every belief you had about working harder to get ahead? I’ve learned the hard way that you can only get promoted so far with your technical capability and hard work and then you hit a wall and then you get frustrated. 

I’m even more frustrated when leaders in the C-Suite are not transparent about what to tell their staff why they cannot get ahead. Could it be you want to protect their resources? Or do they lack the skills to articulate feedback that will either help the employee or steer them in the right direction? 

Well, today is a new day and I’d like to share with you my experience and a framework that can help you to work smarter and get promoted faster. 

In a past role, I worked hard and I received 4 promotions in 7 years. That all came to an end when my advocate moved on and then I was stuck. I started shopping myself around within the company and no door would lead to where I wanted to go both career and financial. Instead I turned my energy outside and with that move to a new company, I was moved up again to 2 promotions in 4 years. This success happened by taking control of my career, networking with the right people and setting goals for myself.  I soon learned that hustle doesn’t always work but the way you work will get you ahead faster.

So let’s turn to you: How do we turn this into a framework that can work for you? 

5 Tips for working smarter, not harder towards your career goals

  • Advocates: are people who have your back and are always singing your praises. Lean into it, see how you can help, they are the ones that will promote or pull you ahead.
  •  Messaging: It’s not what you say, but how you say it – I teach this information vs. messaging; an essential skill you need. Contact me if you want to learn more, I talk about this as one of the highest missing skills for up and coming leaders
  • Talking points â€“ aka executive presence. What are the 3-5 things you believe in and are your core values? Have stories to demonstrate them and be ready to showcase them in an interview or presentation. When you lead with talking points, you create consistency in your messaging and you become a trusted resource. 
  • Stakeholder management â€“ when starting a project, know who the stakeholders are and make sure you have a relationship with them. Consider meeting regularly and when you have  your next initiative, float it to them for their input so when you position it, they’ve already bought into your idea.
  • Build an external network that is intentional. I regret not having done this while working within a company. I had 800 LI connections when I started and now I have 7500 and growing. With more eyeballs on you and your experience, the greater that there will be pull vs. the constant push.

If you are aspiring to the C-Suite, and tired of the hustle, are you ready to change how you work and implement these tips? 

If you are a business owner or C-Suite leader, are you ready to invest in your people and help them be successful? Their success is your success! 

Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action. I want you to succeed and this framework can enable you to do it yourself. 

However, if you need more help, I’m here for you as the Drop In CEO, CEO whisperer or as a sounding board. 

To hear more about my story about framework,  please tune into my podcast that is releasing this Friday 6/16/23. 

Maybe you simply need a support system to apply these new insights. I find leaders need a place to talk through the challenges and that’s why I created The Drop In CEO Collective, a forum for C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow. To learn more about our next event you can visit our page and register. 

Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me via my website and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success.

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How Setting Personal Boundaries can Lead to Success

I love working with CEO’s, C-Suite Leaders and leaders of tomorrow, because they’re so talented; but sometimes they hit a barrier and need my help. My heart hurts when I see them struggle and it validates the work I’m meant to do; to help them navigate challenges with confidence. One trend I have noticed is their inability to set personal boundaries to ensure their success.  

For me, as you can see I’m a prolific content creator and I produce 1 guest and 1 solo episode a month. However, I have some vacation time and a few client projects that need to get done and I can’t also be doing my usual networking and podcasting through the summer. So I’ve built an inventory of interviews and closed down my calendar for a month in June /July when I won’t be recording. I’ve also limited my calendar to allow only a few networking meetings. Setting boundaries gives me some breathing room to not feel stressed, manage my client work and also enjoy my summer. Setting boundaries feels uncomfortable to me at times, but at the same time, I have a sense of calm and peace of mind that I’m in control

How do we turn this into a framework that can work for you? 

  • Inventory the things that can be delayed / don’t have to be done for the next month or reduce the number of activities.
  • Set your schedule when you will start work, end work and force yourself to shut down your computer. For me, I start early, but I have my schedule such that most days I am done at 5. I close my laptop and know I’ve run out of energy to be most effective. I discipline myself to stop and know I’ll have twice as much energy the next morning to get those things done.
  • Time block when you will do administrative work, interactive work with colleagues/meetings, creative time â€“ I know this is not always possible, but unless you plan your work, how will you ever get to a point where you feel like you’re in control?
  • If urgent matters come your way â€“ pause and assess (delay) how urgent it is, or could it be delayed a few hours until you finish your creative or collaborative work uninterrupted. Sometimes people simply want to be acknowledged and know they will get your undivided attention when you are ready.
  • Take 20 minutes at whatever point in the day you feel like you start to wander and get off track. I’ve taken a late lunch between 2-3 and sat outside for 20 minutes. It’s very calming to my nerves. I told you I’m in personal wellness and when I go, go, go, my heart rate remains in the 70’s all day. When I pause for 20 minutes it goes back down into the high 50’s and it’s almost like I’ve had a nap. I come back to my work and the batteries are charged. 20 minutes for yourself won’t negatively impact your day. Go now, and take 20 for yourself!

By the way, I’m not perfect!  I’m continually honing this skill. If I fall off the wagon I realize that tomorrow’s another day to be successful and learn how to set boundaries.

So there you have it! It’s not a difficult concept, but sometimes difficult for leaders to enforce self discipline. People are watching your behaviors. Failure to change will have a ripple effect in your organization leaving everyone stressed and in less than optimal health. 

Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action. I want you to succeed and this framework can enable you to do it yourself. 

However, if you need more help, I’m here for you as the Drop In CEO, CEO whisperer or as a sounding board. 

To hear more about my story about framework,  please tune into my podcast that is releasing this Friday 6/8/23. 

Maybe you simply need a support system to apply these new insights. I find leaders need a place to talk through the challenges and that’s why I created The Drop In CEO Collective, a forum for C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow. To learn more about our next event on June 13th you can visit our page and register. 

Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me via my website and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success. 

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How are you being disruptive vs. being disrupted?

While technology can be disruptive, I want to remind people to stay the course with your vision and don’t be distracted by what “everyone else” is doing.

I’m probably late to the game with AI and I should educate myself on the benefits and challenges.

But while other people are jumping on the bandwagon and creating initiatives to react to the disruption, how many of you are disciplined to take in the new information, take time to process it and respond responsibly to it while staying true to what you are doing.

Following the crowd positions you to be always behind.

Being a responsible leader and forging ahead with your mission while making concisous decisions about how to apply the disrpuption will put you in the lead and other will turn around and try to catch up to you.

Remember, there are always disruptions and crisis and pandemics and acts of mother nature that we’re conditioned to react based on humanity’s need to survive.

But remember, some of what you do is in your control.

Follow your way and not that of others.

I’ve never been one to follow the crowd, because I know I’ll never win with that strategy.

Creating my own disruptive category “The Drop In CEO”; serving C-Suite Leaders of Today and Tomorrow to Navigate Challenges with Confidence, sets me apart from Fractional Leader, Consultants or Business Advisors.

I’d love to hear your reaction #linkedin and the rest of the #dropinceo community.

Friday thoughts while I procrastinate starting my day! -Deb

#ai#csuiteleaders

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Time Management Habits of CEOs

Poor time management was the beginning of the end of my firefighting leadership style. Having received a very poor performance review because I didn’t complete my objectives, it was eye opening and liberating for me. I had fallen victim to what was easy and activity based vs. being the leader focused on moving an organization to an outcome that served our business and customers. After moving through that mindset shift, I see this behavior plagues numerous C-Suite leaders as well as those who seek the secrets to the C-Suite. Does it take an “aha moment” such as mine, or can we build those skills so you and others don’t have to struggle? 

Before I move to a framework that has served me well, I do want to take a moment to help you shift your mindset if you are not yet in the C-Suite. How do you think you will get into an influential role, even if it doesn’t have a “C” in front of it? It’s by seeing yourself in that role already and behaving as if you had the position. See those above you as peers and you become the person you aspire to be. I thought I’d throw that in there, because that was a stepping stone into being a C-Suite leader myself and some of those I coach find it transformative.

Time Management Habits to move you to Strategic Leadership

  • Major Mindset Shift:  Ask yourself if you want to be a leader at all? If you see your value more as a firefighter than having the discipline to stay the course on strategic work, it’s okay. But your ascend into the C-suite may stop there. If you set your expectation that you will make the shift, then we can proceed.
  • Decision Logic Ground Rules: What are your non-negotiables or values? In the face of making a choice between activity vs. strategic work, you need a set of rules that will help you with making good decisions. Does this work support the strategy? Does this work help someone on my team to be self-sufficient? If I make this decision, will I violate the time I want to invest in well-being? Will I sacrifice time with my family? Get these down on paper and decisions will be easier. 
  • Prioritization made simple: Look up Eisenhower and you’ll know how much I love this matrix. Everything that comes across your desk, assess it if it is a “Do Now”, “Do Later”, “Delegate it” or “Delete it”. It’s a lifesaver and I talk more about this on the podcast releasing later this week. I get hundreds of emails a week. I review everything and delete as much as I can. I do the urgent, I schedule important tasks into the future and others I delegate. You’ll thank me for this tip!
  • Discipline is what separates you from other leaders: Let’s set a principle first; 80% is good enough in completing your daily/weekly/monthly tasks. We have to make space for urgent matters and people coming to us for help. We are not heroes, but we must be heroic in self discipline. If you have good decision logic and prioritization, you’ll find your “to do” lists getting closer and closer to 80% done as you hone these skills. As of today, Thursday I’m at 60% complete, but feel confident based on how I’ve set my schedule I can get to 80%. Discipline is a leading indicator of success in making strategic work being realized.
  • Reflection: If you’ve done well, remember what worked and repeat. If you failed, be kind to yourself, but what can you change in  your behavior the next week to increase your odds of being successful? You have one more chance to decide if you want to be a firefigher or evolve your Time Management Skills of a C-Suite leader. 

So there you have the framework: Mindset / Decision Logic / Prioritization / Discipline / Reflection

Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action. 

This framework enables you to do it yourself, but I’m here for you to be a resource. 

To hear more about my story about How to achieve Time Management Skills of the CEO, please tune into my podcast that is releasing this Friday 5/19/23. 

Maybe you simply need a support system to apply these new insights. I find leaders simply need a place to talk through the challenges and that’s why I created The Drop In CEO Collective, a forum for C-Suite leader support. To learn more about our next event in June you can visit our page and register. 

Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me via my website and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success. 

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