Category: Life Lesson

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The Leaders Playbook: Daily focus

Early in the morning, before the day gets started, I take a few minutes in the stillness to clearly determine what is essential for the coming day and what I must focus on.  This has been a game changer for me for many years.

I write it out on a 3×5 card and then focus my daily work around the essential. At the end of the day before I shut down I debrief where I spent my time. This daily practice has taught me to say “no” a lot more than I did before.

Stay focused and never forget that time is the only commodity that we never get back.

The Author is currently serving as an active-duty military officer. Any comments or recommendations on this post or on this site are solely and expressly my personal views and do not represent the position of any branch of the United States Government, the Department of Defense, or the Department of the Air Force.

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The Leaders Playbook: Taking care of yourself so you can take care of others

It’s the New Year and the time for new beginnings. As a leader, we owe it to the teams that we are either a part of or lucky enough to lead to be the best leader we can be.

A big component of this is ensuring that we are taking care of ourselves; physically, and mentally – the whole nine yards. Sleep is a big part of this and I always encourage leaders to “hack” their sleep and get very serious about it early in their professional lives. Diet and nutrition are big components as well. (Talk to a pro if need be).

As we enter the New Year please take the time to develop a plan and associated habits to take care of yourself. Be rested and ready to go every day. Know what you need to be the best leader you can be, and equally importantly make sure your teammates and subordinates have the ability to do the same.

Your family and your team(s) deserve this. So do you. Don’t mess this up.

The Author is currently serving as an active-duty military officer. Any comments or recommendations on this post or on this site are solely and expressly my personal views and do not represent the position of any branch of the United States Government, the Department of Defense, or the Department of the Air Force.