6 Leaders Share the One Game-Changing Tip That Transformed Their Career Use one or more of these small, everyday habits and life hacks to make a big impact on your career.
By Mark Klekas
There are six things you can start doing tomorrow that could have a big impact on your career. We asked our network of leaders, entrepreneurs and executives to share the one game-changing tip or insight they picked up on their road to success that made all the difference. Here, each individual shares that tip and their reasoning behind why it can help you too.
If you are looking for better communication, cutting through ambiguity, taking better risks or making better use of your time, keep reading.
1. Be a straight shooter
Being 110% direct and candid is what most transformed my career. When I first became a manager, I'd sugarcoat the truth for my employees. I was terrified that if I was too "tough" on people, my employees would badmouth me behind my back, become disengaged and then not deliver results. With those senior to me, I'd sometimes hold back a dissenting opinion because I didn't want to "rock the boat" or be seen as a naysayer.
One day, I realized I'd been put into leadership because my own insights and perceptions of people (and things) had been deemed highly valuable. I realized I wasn't fulfilling my potential (or the role I'd been hired for) by holding back, trying to be "nice," or "playing well" with others in the sandbox. Instead, I was there to grow and develop others. I was there to challenge convention and the status quo.
I decided to become more courageous and say it exactly as I saw it while also communicating great respect for others. I decided to be a straight shooter in all situations. As I did, I developed a reputation for being transparent, authentic, and able to handle (and resolve) conflict. This changed everything.
-Amy Chambers, Executive Coach & Author
2. Risk is a good thing
Possibly the most transformative business lesson I have learned over the years is that as an entrepreneur or leader you will never really be ready for risk, so move while you are still uncomfortable.
Risk is never a comfortable thing. And yet, it is an essential component of leading an organization to success. The saying "nothing ventured means nothing gained" must have been written by an entrepreneur. Success comes from calculated risk-taking. I do not mean wild guesses or reckless risk-taking. I mean calculated, intentional and deliberate risk. The ironic and paradoxical thing about risk is that you must be willing to risk losing in order to win. As Wayne Gretzky used to say, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
Entrepreneurs who are risk averse and afraid to lose often actually usually end up unable to win. But, as we get older and/or more successful, it actually becomes more difficult to take risks. Those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of risk. However, those who have been successful and thus have greater personal risk are often less able to engage in risky decisions for fear of negative consequences. When I struggle with risk I remind myself of these three rules of risk:
- You must always move before it's comfortable to succeed! Success comes from risk-taking behaviors. If it feels really safe, it probably is too late to move.
- Opportunity is very difficult to recognize early on. You must move before decisions and answers are clear to everyone. It is easy to win Sunday's game on Monday morning, but the longer you wait, the more everyone can see the opportunity and the less successful it will be.
- Failure is part of success; don't be afraid of it. Try like hell to prevent it, but don't let fear set your agenda. Bravery is not the absence of fear it is carrying on despite the fear.
Jon B. Becker, CEO and President of AARDVARK
3. Own your mornings
Kicking off my morning on my agenda has helped me be most happy and productive for years. From the moment I wake up, I prioritize the time for me and not for everyone else's questions or other distractions such as scrolling news or social media — surprisingly — what many people open their eyes to. I choose to exercise first thing in the morning as it energizes me, and exercise is proven to enhance mood and productivity and, naturally, improve your health.
Whether it's journaling, meditating, cold-plunging or sitting quietly with your coffee, I suggest you own your morning on your terms, as you will begin the day doing what will make you most energized and productive for the day. The result? A much stronger positioning for success personally and professionally.
– Elisette Carlson, Founder, SMACK! Media
4. Always delegate
I have a friend who's the managing partner of a very large law firm. It's a very demanding and stressful job and he was very successful at it. Our kids played baseball together for a few years. He was the coach of their team. He never missed a game, never missed a practice. He has two other kids and gave his time equally. When I emailed him about team topics, I received quick replies. How? How can a person with so many responsibilities manage both his professional and personal life in such a balanced way? His answer changed my approach to my business and my life.
"I delegate, always," he told me once. "When I get tasked with something, my first thought is, who can do this task for me? I hire good people and trust them to do their jobs. I accept there will be mistakes. But I lean heavily on my team to get things done for me so that I can lead. The more my team can do, the better we are and the more flexibility I have to not only focus on higher-level issues, but on my family as well."
-Gene Marks, president of The Marks Group
5. Not everything is urgent
In the startup stages of my business, I wasn't very good at prioritizing. By that, I mean I literally prioritized everything all at once.
I hardly took breaks and rarely socialized outside of work. I had unintentionally fallen into the urgency mindset, and it quickly led to burnout. It was a wonder how I'd been keeping up with things. I constantly worked on everything, and yet I felt like there was no meaningful progress on anything. Eventually, one rainy day, I was sitting at my desk and just paused right in the middle of a big project I was stressing about. I closed my laptop and took a walk to clear my mind.
Suddenly, it all just hit me: The majority of the things I believed were urgent were not. I knew I needed to change my mindset. So, I made the conscious decision that day to start setting boundaries and prioritizing only what was truly urgent. I remembered that "big project" waiting for me on my desk and decided right then that it could keep waiting. I'm no procrastinator, but other projects simply needed to be done first. I knew that if I didn't start prioritizing things one at a time, the long-term effects of my burnout would be detrimental to my overall well-being. Since then, I've experienced exponential personal and professional growth because each project has my undivided attention.
-John Rampton, entrepreneur, investor and startup enthusiast. Founder of the calendar productivity tool, Calendar
6. Automate when you can
Leveraging automation for efficiency is indeed pivotal for startups and small businesses. When I founded my company, we were constrained by limited capital and workforce, a common scenario for startups. The transformative step for us was embracing automation. By automating repetitive tasks, we've not only increased efficiency and productivity but also minimized errors and freed up time for strategic work. This shift has improved our operational efficiency and allowed us to focus on growth-driving activities.
Our journey with automation led us to develop an AI-powered system, which has revolutionized our marketing funnel and social media advertising. This system isn't just an internal tool; it's a product we now offer to our clients. By using our system, clients can enjoy enhanced efficiency, targeted marketing efforts, and improved ROI. It has enabled us to stay competitive and deliver unparalleled value, redefining roles within our team and allowing us to provide higher-level contributions.
Moreover, this technology offers our clients a competitive edge in their respective markets. It streamlines their processes, provides actionable insights, and enables them to deliver a more personalized customer experience. We're proud to not only use this system internally but also to empower our clients with the same innovative solutions that drive success.
-Jessica Wong, founder and CEO of Valux Digital
