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By Kristin Baird
Moods are contagious. If you’ve ever been dragged into someone’s drama in the workplace, you know how damaging it can be to staff morale. One person gossiping or finding fault in others sends a ripple through the team. So it’s important to remember that allowing drama will ultimately erode the patient experience because it’s difficult to be upbeat and focused on patients when there’s drama brewing in the background. Patients sense discord. I remember once when my mom was a patient. She commented that the staff didn’t get along. Always the researcher, I asked, “How does that make you feel?” She replied, “It makes me feel uncomfortable and that I’m not the top priority.” Drama can take many forms. It can manifest as gossip, passive aggressive behavior, victim behavior, fighting and power struggles. Although it can be exhausting for the leader to try to manage, it’s essential because what you permit you promote. It’s the leader’s job then, to set boundaries and expectations as well as model behavior. After all, you are the keeper of the culture. Let your team know your expectations. Ask for their support in following a “no drama” code of conduct which means they don’t create or participate in the drama. Remind them that they can simply walk away or, they can go one step further and confront the individual engaged in toxic behavior. Engaged and fully engaged employees don’t create drama. So when you spot it in the ranks, deal with it swiftly before it spreads. You are the keeper of the culture. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success!
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By Marilyn Tam
Why being grateful creates happiness and more good 'Twas the worst of times. My husband died suddenly of a heart attack. I stopped working from the shock, my family was preoccupied and on another continent, and friends stayed away because they didn’t know how to deal with death so early in our lives. I was alone, no work, no income, and no place I wanted to be. Getting up in the morning seemed like an exercise in futility. Why bother? There was no one there, nothing to do, no place to go, and money was dwindling away. Giving thanks saved me. In the depths of my depression and listlessness, I turned inward. I prayed. I prayed for clarity, the reason for being, for what’s next. Somehow in that place of despair I heard an inner voice say to me, “Give Thanks”. Give thanks? For what? Yet the voice persisted. Give thanks. It was more a command than a suggestion. In the midst of depression and confusion, you can find a heart of gratitude. So, I developed a ritual. Upon awakening from another restless night, I forced myself to list five things I am grateful for before I get up. Small things like, I can get ready very quickly, my teeth are naturally straight, I don’t have any appointments to rush off to etc. Each morning I struggled to come up with five things to give thanks for. Some days it was hard. Other days it was really, really hard. But somehow after I listed the five, getting up became easier. Little by little the darkness cracked, and tiny slivers of light broke through, if only for a moment here and there. During my periods of equanimity, I started sorting out what to do next. Change out of my PJs. Exercise. Eat. Do things for others. Learn new things. Give thanks. Repeat. Repeat again. Gradually, over some time, things became more manageable. Then an executive recruiter called out of the blue to offer me a dream job. I accepted the job and moved across the country to a new life. Giving thanks all the way. Was it easy? No. Was it worth it? Yes. Grateful. Happy. Give thanks and the sun will shine again and you will dance again. Brother David Steindl-Rast developed a deep appreciation of gratitude from living day to day with death imminent under Nazi occupation in Austria. Heis now a Benedictine monk and a leader in Buddhist-Christian dialogue, alternatively traveling the world speaking on spirituality and gratitude, and spending time in deep retreat. Brother David, his teaching and life is about gratitude. His short video (5.23), “A Grateful Day” has been viewed over 1.1 Million times. Many people and groups use it and his teachings in their daily meditation. He preaches that if you wish to be happy, be grateful. The very same core message that I received when I was in deep despair. Brother David established the interactive website, www.Gratefulness.org, which serves as the home for the worldwide Network for Grateful Living. It is a place where you can find support for living each day with gratitude in your heart. It is no wonder that many cultures have a thanksgiving festival. Instinctively and traditionally, people have found that giving thanks leads to more reasons to give thanks. Like attracts like. You can use this to power your own happiness and thankfulness. Give thanks for what you have now, no matter how meager it may seem to you. Your current situation is one that some else would be grateful for. Find things in your life to give thanks for and soon, you will find that you indeed have more to be pleased about! Express gratitude in whatever way that feels authentic to you. Persist in doing so even when it’s difficult to feel grateful for your life. You will find as you do, that you’ll be happier and more good things will flow into your life too. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Amy Dee
As a funny motivational speaker, one of my biggest fears is looking like a hypocrite. In no way do I consider myself more grateful, optimistic, or kinder than anyone else. In reality, these are topics that I read about, study, and try to practice in my daily life because I need and believe in them. Nonetheless, I also spend time being irritable and indulging in self-pity. When this happens, I try to catch myself and step away to regroup. I experienced many life changes due to COVID pandemic. For the most part, I’ve tried to stay positive as my speaking career reboots to virtual. In contrast, I’ve also hosted several self- pity parties. POOR ME- my live speaking events have postponed WAA WAA WAA —I’ve lost my live audiences BOOHOO — I have so much to do Overall, I am not a poor me type. When life gets challenging, I get stuff done. That said, I don’t walk around, surrounded by a glittery rainbow. I’ve inherited the superpower ability to see possible pitfalls around every corner. Because of this, I can quickly become Whinederella and fall into a puddle of self-pity. Facing Challenges At times, most of us struggle to harness the power of Gratitude to overcome obstacles. Despite this, practicing Gratitude is one of the most dynamic ways to change your attitude towards your life circumstances, increase Resilience, and transform your life. In fact, a regular practice of Gratitude will help you deal with challenges and setbacks. This essay will share actionable strategies that will enable you to see more happiness and abundance in your life within days. What Does Gratitude Mean? In short, Gratitude means thanks and appreciation. It comes from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context). In addition, gratus is a Latin word that means “thankful, pleasing.” That said, often, Gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. Robert Emmons is the world’s leading scientific expert on Gratitude. In the Greater Good, one of his essays entitled “Why Gratitude Is Good.” Here is how Emmons explains Gratitude: “First, it’s an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts, and benefits we’ve received.” Next, he explains, “We recognize that the sources of this goodness are outside of ourselves. … We acknowledge that other people—or even higher powers, if you’re of a spiritual mindset—gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.” To summarize, Gratitude has two core factors. Firstly, it is the affirmation of goodness. Secondly, it recognizes this goodness comes from outside of ourselves. As a result, Gratitude causes you to feel thankful. On the other hand, this kindness doesn’t create indebtedness. You are not concern about having to pay it back. Also, your appreciation can be for something tangible or intangible. As a result, Gratitude causes us to both recognize and acknowledge the good in our lives. Not only that, we usually see that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside of us. Subsequently, this causes us to connect to something larger than our selves. Whether this connection is to other people, nature, or higher power, we know we are not alone. Gratitude throughout history Gratitude has been praised as a virtue in almost every culture throughout the ages. In many religions, it is one of the core elements. Both ancient and modern prophets have recognized and taught the importance of Gratitude. In addition, it is the focus of many religious ceremonies, rituals, and holidays. For example, let’s consider Thanksgiving in the United States. The Mayflower colonist suffered greatly during their first winter in the New World. In fact, Forty-five of the 102 Mayflower passengers died in the winter of 1620–21, primarily from scurvy, pneumonia, and lack of shelter. Nevertheless, despite all the hardships the Pilgrims suffered, they practiced Gratitude every day. Furthermore, they even set aside a day for Gratitude called Thanksgiving. The Benefits Of Gratitude Multiple studies have shown a correlation between Gratitude and increased well-being. Not only that, but this benefit also expands to both the individual and all other people involved. Accordingly, research from Positive psychology has revealed that Gratitude has a consistently secure connection to increased happiness. How Gratitude Helps -Improves your health -Helps you feel more positive emotions -Allows you to relish good experiences -Build stronger relationships -Enables you to better deal with adversity For this purpose, you can feel and express Gratitude in multiple ways. For example, you can remember the past by recalling a past blessing or a cherished memory. On the other hand, you can concentrate on the gifts you experience in your present. Being thankful assures you won’t take good fortune for granted when it comes your way. Lastly, you can be an optimist and create a positive attitude about your future. As you can see, Gratitude’s attitude is a quality you can continue to grow throughout your lifetime. Gratitude Makes You Better Of equal importance, studies have established that those of us who deliberately count our blessings tend to be happier and less depressed. For example, Emmons and his team studied over 1000 people from ages eight to 80. These participants were required to keep a simple gratitude journal for only three weeks. The results were overwhelmingly positive. Participants who consistently practiced Gratitude reported loads of benefits in the following areas: Physical Benefits of Being Thankful • It helped strengthen their immune systems • They were less bothered by aches and pains • Blood pressure decreased in some people • Taking better care of their health and increasing their exercise became more important • Some found they slept longer and felt more refreshed upon waking Gratitude Helped Psychologically• Participant increased their levels of positive emotions • They became more alert, alive, and awake • Many reported experiencing more joy and pleasure • It helped build optimism and happiness Thankfulness increase their Social Strengths • They reported feeling more helpful, generous, and compassionate • Some said they felt more forgiving • It transformed some into becoming more outgoing • Many reported it Lowed their feelings of loneliness and isolation Gratitude Increases Resilience Equally important, Gratitude practices can help you better manage any hardships or challenges that come your way. To this end, Resilience is about control and perspective. A Gratitude practice allows us to stop and reflect on the good instead of overlooking it and passing it off as unimportant. Moreover, it will enable us to put some space between our impulses and our actions. This space allows us the ability to choose. It gives us the control and perspective we need to make the right decisions while dealing with challenging situations. In short, when Gratitude becomes an intentional daily practice, it becomes a habit. This habit trains our emotions and our minds to thrive amid adversity. Our lives and perspectives change because we can now see the positives in tough situations. Six Ways To Cultivate Gratitude Emmons suggests the following ways to cultivate Gratitude: 1. Write a thank-you note. You can make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter. To clarify, express your enjoyment and appreciation of that person’s impact on your life. Send it, or better yet, deliver and read it in person if possible. After that, make a habit of sending at least one gratitude letter a month. Once in a while, write one to yourself. 2. Thank someone mentally. No time to write? Instead, it may help just to think about someone who has done something beautiful for you. Then, mentally thank the individual. 3. Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down or share with a loved one thought about the gifts you’ve received each day. 4. Count your blessings. Pick a time every week to sit down and write about your benefits — reflecting on what went right or those you are grateful for. To this end, sometimes it helps to pick a number — such as three to five things — that you will identify each week. Meanwhile, as you write, be specific and think about your sensations when something good happened to you. 5. Pray. Religious people can use prayer to cultivate Gratitude. 6. Meditate. Finally, mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. Of course, people often focus on a word or phrase (such as “peace”). It is also possible to focus on what you’re grateful for (the warmth of the sun, a pleasant sound, etc.). Gratitude Makes Every Day Precious Generally, researchers claim there are 27,375 days in an average lifetime. Needless to say, people vary in how long they live. Nevertheless, you can approximately figure out how much time you have left with the following calculation. Multiply your age by 365, then subtract that number from 27,375 days. To sum it up, one day you will have more time behind you than in front of you. Believe me when I say life passes in a flash. Unfortunately, we often speed walk through life without celebrating the beautiful gifts our lives contain. The good news is that every day can be made more precious through Gratitude. So, slow down and savor. This life is a gift, but this gift doesn’t last forever. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Kenneth Kaufman
A very interesting short article recently appeared in The New York Times that explored the COVID phenomenon of “languishing.” The author defines languishing as “the collective fog we have endured…trouble concentrating, trouble staying motivated, trouble getting excited about the future.” The author goes on to say that languishing isn’t burnout and is not depression, but instead is a sense of stagnation, a sense of just getting by. As I read the article it occurred to me that not only can individuals languish, but most certainly organizations can languish too. And if any organizations in America deserve to languish, certainly America’s healthcare providers qualify. This notion of a long-standing collective funk introduces an entirely new fiduciary responsibility for hospital boards and CEOs. The past year has been unprecedentedly difficult; every organization, especially hospital providers, is entitled to its moment of languish. But no healthcare organization can afford to languish for long. So how does the board and CEO assure that its collective organization is now moving to a path to get excited about the future. The way forward is to get aggressive about certain business tactics that assure the financial and strategic integrity of your healthcare organization. These tactical steps are as follows: Recalibrate the strategic plan. COVID has changed everything, including finances, demand for medical services, the cultural context within hospitals operate, and the immediate need for healthcare equity and social justice. Given that any hospital’s pre-COVID strategic plan is likely somewhere between partially broken and mostly irrelevant, the first critical step to recovery is to regain control of everything your board and management team needs to know. What does your marketplace now look like? How disrupted is your local demand for services? Is your clinical delivery system still intact? Has your traditional competition changed? Has your organization’s place within the competitive space changed? The questions are endless. But all of the essential questions must be posed and answered within a quantitative analytical framework. And right now, especially, that framework must be technically flawless. Reassess the organization’s financial integrity. The financial questions are going to come fast and furious. Has the basic financial integrity of your organization been damaged? If so, how damaged? How do your pre-COVID and post-COVID operating statements compare? How do your pre-COVID and post-COVID balance sheets compare? Pre-COVID, what was your estimate of capital capacity? What is your revised estimate of capital capacity? If the strategic plan is changing dramatically, are your total financial resources still sufficient to support that post-COVID strategy? Again, there are many more questions than easy answers, and, again, the financial analytics must be impeccable. Rework costs. The third tactical tool necessary to push your organization forward is bringing post-COVID costs in line with post-COVID revenue. I have written on this point previously. Let’s add to the discussion the note that your organization will languish indefinitely if the overall cost structure cannot be brought into line to assure ongoing sufficient profitability and capital capacity. The post-COVID period will demand a new sophistication in establishing a lower overall cost point for your hospital. Four key principles will support this process: recognizing that much of the low hanging costs has already been picked, approaching cost reduction as a continuous process, focusing hard on corporate overhead and shared services costs, and taking a new and fresh look at automation, outsourcing, and offshoring. The last months of the COVID pandemic have been difficult in every way one might characterize difficult. One might say that hospital providers have earned the right for some time to languish. But let’s be candid: the “languish honeymoon” has to end sometime, and from my perspective now would be that time. All hospital boards and associated CEOs need to take a good look at their post-COVID organizations and immediately step forward to assure their organizations’ strategic and financial integrity. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Beth Boynton
The Paradox of Interruptions I want to share some thoughts about interruptions in healthcare. We face a paradox regarding interruptions in healthcare because sometimes they prevent errors and sometimes they cause them. If we can discern differences, we’ll stand a better chance of fostering the former and eliminating the latter. As explained in the first few minutes of the YouTube, “Interruption Awareness: A Nursing Minute for Patient Safety”, interruptions can alert us to problems and stop us from making a mistakes. They can also be examples of less than perfect behavior and an opportunity for personal growth. Interruptions can also be a form of bullying and are hugely dysfunctional. They interfere with our ability to think clearly in the moment. And when tolerated become entrenched in an organizational culture and threaten staff’s psychological safety. In healthcare, interruptions lead to mistakes, (sometimes catastrophic ones), loss of creative problem-solving capacity, and burnout. When are interruptions Bullying? Communication is an art and most of us, including myself, have room for improvement. Yet imperfection is vastly different from persistent poor behavior. With that in mind, here are several ways to distinguish intentional i.e. helpful interruptions and the imperfect behavioral ones from those that should be characterized as aggressive. These three signs will help you determine whether someone is bullying or not. 1. An apology. I’m sorry, I just interrupted you. Please continue. This suggests that the person has awareness of his/her behavior, how it might impact you, and a willingness to work on it. Additional ownership might be nice, but not necessarily essential. 2. The interruptions stop. While an apology shows signs that another person is considering your needs, persistent interruptions show s/he does not. Sometimes, an inability to listen well involves impulsivity and a learning curve. So interruptions may not stop completely, forever, or all at once. However, the trend should be in that direction if the relationships and culture are going to be healthy. 3. There is a clear intention to prevent a perceived problem. Speaking up to stop a wrong-site, wrong-person, wrong-procedure incident in the operating room is one good example. STOP! That is the wrong kidney! Another would be interrupting a gossiping colleague: "stop talking about me behind my back." Summary Bullying interruptions undermine cultures of safety for patients and the workforce. And there are no excuses for it in healthcare. It is up to us to raise awareness about it, speak up against it, and do our own work to become better listeners. Learning to listen well is a complex and important soft skill to cultivate. It requires clear expectations from leaders, practice opportunities that are safe, room for learning curves with feedback loops and forgiveness, and ultimately disciplinary action. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Chip Bell
The word “veteran” means someone who served in the military. But it also means someone who has had long experience. Service in the military does not begin as an experienced soldier but rather as an anxious, naive, and lowly recruit. A recruit has no rank, no ribbons, and no power; just a lot of KP and guard duty all night long in the cold. Boot camp starts for most with a sergeant screaming in your face, making nasty remarks about your mother, and demanding you do fifty push-ups on command. When I arrived at Fort Dix, NJ, as an Army recruit, I spent the first couple of days in the reception area completing forms, taking tests, getting uniforms, learning to march, and getting my hair cut really short. One evening, a kind sergeant took a group of us aside to prepare us for the beginning of eight weeks of basic training. “When you get off the bus on the other side of Fort Dix,” he told us, “a very angry drill sergeant will begin his job of mercilessly harassing you. Remember, he does not know your mother; he does not know you, he is not even speaking to you personally, although it will feel like he is. He is speaking to your rank. And you are a private E-nothing, the lowest possible rank in the Army. Stand tall, be proud, and remember who you really are.” Customer service has its veterans, those highly experienced service pros who know the tricks of the trade and have seen it all. But there are also newbies who are prone to take personally the tirade of an unhappy customer. They are likely to blame themselves for a hiccup in the service system. They might be overly nervous about asking a question for fear of looking inept. They need to be given the space to learn from their errors, the wisdom of someone who can turn honest mistakes into helpful competence, and publicly celebrate their participation in the nobility of service to others. Give them your support, encouragement, and help them never lose sight of the great person someone selected for their role. Happy Veterans Day! Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Donna Cardillo
Because of a shortage of paper table napkins in the stores, my husband and I started cutting ours in half at the fold to conserve. That leaves us with a 2-ply napkin instead of a 4-ply one which works quite well. We realized that we don’t really need a whole napkin at every meal. I am reminded of my in-laws who lived through the great depression of the last century. They had to learn how to conserve, do more with less, and even live without many things. They carried those lessons throughout their entire lives. Even when they were in a more comfortable position later in life, they lived well but simply. Waste not, want not was their unspoken code. In times of abundance (whether personal or global), there is a tendency, by some, to be wasteful, greedy, and have a sense of entitlement. When scarcity arrives (and it almost always does at least once in a lifetime), we either learn/practice gratitude, appreciation, compassion, resourcefulness, and humility, or we make ourselves sick and become angry, demanding, complaining, blaming, and fear-mongering. Each of us has a choice. (Hint: The latter does not serve you, your loved ones, or the world.) Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Courtney Clark
If being happy was easy, everyone would do it. Instead, there’s a lot of disagreement over what makes true happiness and how we should achieve it. One thing is clear – real long-term happiness depends more on individual interpretation than the specific situation. Two people can have the same experiences, and one person can report being happy while another person reports feeling unfulfilled. So if happiness depends on how you interpret your life, are there ways you can choose to be more positive? The answer appears to be yes. There are specific habits and practices that happy people have in common. By choosing to adopt these strategies, you’ll be more likely to reframe your life experiences (both positive and negative!) in a way that can allow you to be as happy as possible. Give Back Helping other people is one of the fastest ways to get perspective on your own problems. When I started researching my first book, The Giving Prescription, I expected to find that volunteering helped people get perspective after going through a trauma. But what surprised me was WHY. I assumed that the reason volunteerism helped was because of something called “downward perspective,” meaning when you volunteer, you’re around people less fortunate than yourself, and being exposed to the less fortunate makes you feel grateful for what you have. That can play a role, but it’s not the biggest factor. A major reason volunteering boosts perspective is because when you give to someone else, you’re increasing your personal power. Sometimes in life we can start feeling helpless or powerless. It may feel like there’s nothing we can do to fix our situation. But when you give back, you have the opportunity to realize that you could have just changed someone’s life. And that boosts your sense of personal power, which increases your self-confidence. Whether you formally become a volunteer through a nonprofit, or you make it a regular habit to give back your community, volunteering will give you the perspective you need to start on your path to happiness. Take Care Practicing self-care is on a lot of happiness lists. Some people recommend you work out and eat healthy. Others say you should meditate or take daily bubble baths. It matters less WHAT you do, than that you do it at all. Taking care of yourself isn’t optional for happy people. A friend of mine once told me “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” I was running myself ragged trying to succeed at work and at home and in my volunteer life… and I was exhausted. I was happy that other people were pleased with my efforts, but I wasn’t HAPPY. How could I be happy, when I was miserably running myself into the ground? I had to realize that making other people proud of me wasn’t the same as being truly happy within myself. What does “taking care of yourself” mean to you? It can be physical, mental, or emotional… as long as you find your own version and seek it out. I had to realize that making other people proud of me wasn’t the same as being truly happy within myself. Give Thanks When I first heard of gratitude journals, I admit I thought they sounded a little… fluffy. Like, kumbaya, let’s all hold hands and talk about what we’re thankful for around the campfire. Then I hit a period of feeling depressed, when the bad things in my life felt ever-present, and the good things in life seemed to evaporate. In the middle of a rant to my husband about how terribly my life was going, he said “whatever happens, you’ll always have my love.” That moment stopped me cold, because I realized what I was saying to him. If “everything sucks and nothing good ever happens to me,” I’m insulting my marriage. I’m saying his love isn’t something to be grateful for. That day, when I picked up a pen to vent in my journal about my frustrations, I made sure to balance every negative out with a positive. I didn’t do it in list format. I just noted my struggles as usual, but then afterward I wrote about one strength to balance out each struggle. I have a friend who writes a thank you note every work day. Her postage stamp budget must be through the roof! But that’s how she spends time expressing gratitude. Maybe prayer is a good way for you to express gratitude. Heck, even a text message is better than nothing! But at least once a week, do something to reflect on (and hopefully express) what’s going right. When you focus on what’s going right instead of what’s going wrong, it’s much easier to foster happiness. Take Time We live in a world of speed. The faster we can make decisions and solve problems, the better. Moving on quickly in the face of an upset is considered a skill. There’s even a name for it: action-bias. We’re primed to want to move fast and put our problems behind us. But… When we move quickly, we aren’t always taking the time to make the best choices. For the past 3 years, I’ve been researching how people can successfully move on when situations in their life change. One common thread I found in my research is that making smart decisions (especially in uncertain environments and changing situations) takes time. We’re all busy people, but thoughtfulness matters. When you resist jumping to action just to be in motion, and instead pause to gather information, you’re more likely to make smart choices. Don’t do the next thing on the list just because it’s the next thing on the list. Don’t get caught up in accomplishment for accomplishment’s sake. Happy people take time to reflect on whether their choice is the right choice for long-term good. Happiness is elusive. It’s more of a regular practice than a destination. Work these 4 habits into your regular behaviors and try to think about them at least once a week. If you do, you’ll be on the path to building happiness in no time. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Josh Linkner
Jaws dropped in the beginning of the summer when readers devoured The Wall Street Journal’s annual CEO compensation report. Despite the pandemic-savaged economy, Paycom Software founder and CEO Chad Richison hauled in a whopping $211 million in 2020. Robert Kotick, CEO of the video game maker Activision Blizzard, came in second place with $155 million, while Regeneron CEO Leonard Schleifer scored $135 million. From global titans to fast-growing startups, those at the helm enjoy outsized rewards. Besides admiring the hard-charging leaders who drive growth, impact, and sustainable success, I’ve long been curious as to what makes the most successful leaders tick. It turns out that the most effective executives have something in common. A simple question that they ask themselves on repeat that separates them from their chief lieutenants. The simple and powerful question that drives performance: “What needs to happen next?” The most successful CEOs don’t just put their heads down and crank out the work. Instead, they prioritize heads-up time where they look toward longer-term objectives and determine what needs to happen right now to manifest those goals. We can ask the same question in different ways, including “what’s currently missing that could derail my objectives?” or “outside of the current directives, what additional steps can we take to ensure the win?” Simply put, they’re more focused on what needs to be added to the mix than just executing the current plan. Titans of industry recognize that turbulent times create changing conditions and that the core of leadership is to adapt, pivot, rethink, and reinvent. Rather than dogged persistence or an unwavering commitment to an existing plan, they remain open-minded to new and better alternatives. They take the initiative to question what’s already in place and to discover what’s missing. Whether you currently have a CEO title or not, the true definition of a leader is someone who can craft a strategy rather than simply follow one. We can learn from the most effective CEOs that a core part of the gig is to question the plan each day, challenging existing models while inventing new ones. If you’re looking to drive growth and sustainable success, borrow this simple question and repeat until it feels like a worn-out baseball mitt. What needs to happen next? Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! |
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