by T-I-M-E. They ain’t making more of it and you can’t buy more of it!
By J.W. Oliver, Managing Partner, SupportDDS
Being an effective and creative leader is not about learning to do more, but developing others around you so you can do less. Most CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders are visionaries. They see what others do not. They cast the vision and see a direction, plan, or a solution that most would never dream about. However, most get caught up in the details and fail to stay focused on the vision.
We all get the same amount of time – 168 hours every week. How we use the time is crucial as leaders to achieve our goals. How we let go and let others do more, can determine just how high we will fly! We hear the term “hit the ceiling”, but we just may be the ceiling!
Time runs out quickly every day for us all. Work always has the day-to-day, the projects, and the new venture or idea that will potentially be a game changer for us. Then there is our health. We need time to cook/eat right, exercise, stretch, and more. Oops, don’t forget the quiet time. Meditate, pray, read, journal, or take a stress walk. The kids need to be fed and help with that science project, there are the ballet lessons and of course, don’t miss those private baseball lessons! Church, rotary club, and the board you serve on all need a hand this week. Can you spare a few hours? You haven’t even had time to scroll the latest election news, sports scores, or blockbuster NFL trades. Whew…now that’s a schedule!
OOPS…One more thing…. your spouse. Where did the week go? Our last date night was 8 weeks ago, and we ate a corn dog at 7-11 for that date. You are such a romantic!
You get it. We are BUSY! We are all looking for ways to do more while saying no to more or better yet delegating. We all want to achieve our goals and stay on track to see our vision become a reality!
There are four easy words to make a habit so you can 2x or even 3x your time. We will stay at a high summary level, but you will get the picture.
Eliminate
- What task should you be saying no to? What can you eliminate from your “to-do” list?
Automate
- What tool or software can you leverage that will help automate the process, so it becomes less labor-intensive?
Delegate
- What can you delegate to others? What items are you doing that have a low ROI, are repetitive, or someone else can simply do it better? How could you leverage remote/virtual teams to delegate more as you scale toward your vision?
Concentrate
- Once you develop the habit of the four listed here, you can now FOCUS on those tasks that help you get closer to your vision!
Once you have mastered these four habits, you can FLY HIGH!
Let Go
- Let go of all that you think ONLY you can do.
Go High
- Go HIGHER not wider. Stay focused on the Vision.
Don’t Go
- Don’t get caught up in the details. Let others go for you.
Go Fast
- Don’t listen to the negative nellies, Go For It!
J.W. Oliver Jr. is the Managing Partner for SupportDDS. They offer “Insourcing” services to DSOs and Dental practices with centers in Africa and Central America.
