Part 1 of 5: The Four Skills Every Executive Needs to Practice

A young man told me he was about to enter the seminary.  A friend shared that he wanted to re-imagine his career as a teacher instead of as a software engineer.  Both people wanted something different for their futures.  Both had vision.

Neither knew the "skills" that would be needed in order to thrive- one as a future priest and the other as a future teacher.  

Grad school tells us a lot about theory and history and "best practices" but little about skills.  I'm not tooting my horn, but I have a lot of graduate degrees and each has been a blessing in a different way.  What each has lacked, unfortunately, has been a healthy dose of the practical skills needed for the profession I'm in.

How about you?  Have you become excellent because of OJT ("on the job training") or because someone taught you the skills needed to be great?

This post begins a four-part series called The Four Skills Every Executive Needs to Practice.  You'll find only practical tips for being great at work.  The skills are as follows:

  • Manage your email daily.
  • Run effective meetings.
  • Synthesize large volumes of information.
  • Control your calendar.

You may be looking at these skills and say to yourself, "Why do I need a four part series on these?"  Quite simply, the answer is this- we need to learn these skills because no one person, no grad school program or self help initiative, is wrapping them up in one package.  

Worse yet, countless potential executives aren't learning these things on their climb up the corporate ladder. The result is the next generation of leaders who will be sorely lacking in the "blocking and tackling" of servant leadership.

That's where this blog comes in handy.

I hope that you enjoy the series and upcoming podcast with the same title.  

Podcast 9: 6 Ways to Solve Your Hectic Schedule

Is your schedule more hectic than you would like?  Errands, your job, family... it all adds up to more than most of us can take in any given week.

In this episode I talk about the tons of commitments that most people have on their plates- too many!  

More than that, we discuss six simple ways that you can counter the onslaught of email, tasks and commitments.  

Enjoy the cast!


Reclaim Your Calm During Holy Week

 This post originally was published for Speak Digital, my weekly newsletter.  You can subscribe for free here.

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Holy Week, at least for many Christians around the world, is finally here. Beginnning on the Sunday prior to Easter (often called Palm Sunday), Holy Week is often seen as a span of seven days that is ideal for those of us who want to unplug and refocus. I really like this take on Lent, the period leading up to Holy Week.

Why unplug?

  1. You need a break from your regular schedule.
  2. You're tired of social media.
  3. "Quiet" seems to make sense this time of the year.
  4. You want to focus on prayer, family, and sabbath-keeping.

Why refocus?

  1. Refocusing is normal to do several times per year.
  2. Stress takes us off-track and tuckers us out.
  3. For people of faith, certain times of the year enable a greater spiritual awareness.
  4. Everyone takes their eye off the ball at one point or another.

All of this came together one morning this past week. I've been wrestling with headaches and overall tiredness all during Lent. During my morning commute, I came across Chad Brooks, the man behind The Productive Pastor Podcast. (you should check it out!)

In one episode with JD Walt, he makes a case for a sustained and honorable sabbath. JD and Walt argue that a "good" sabbath is one that feeds the soul rather than just a day a week that we cram with errands and a to-do list that's overflowing with chores. I was convicted. Being in a doctoral program has "blessed" me with more pressure than ever to write, research and meet my deadlines. As a result, I've been working, in one way or another, seven days a week for a long time. Not good.

What about you? Have you been taking a day off each week to feed your soul, rest your body and renew your mind?

How about this, during this year's Holy Week (which starts today), take the challenge to unplug. You can do this very easily and I suspect that, in a week's time, you'll be glad you did:

  1. Cut down on social media. If you really have to use it, just check it once a day. If you can afford to stay off it altogether, go for it.
  2. Don't let email take over. Again, as with #1, check it once or twice a day but that's it. Turn off all dings and notifications.
  3. Give solitude a big hug. Get outdoors. Go to the ocean. Visit a mountain. Spend time in church. Get quiet by getting away. It's hard to listen when things are noisy.
  4. Practice the Jim Eliot principle. The missionary Eliot once said, "Wherever you are, be all there." Whatever you decide to do this week, be fully present. God is right there in the middle of whatever is on your plate right now. Suffering, joy, success, struggle- He's there.

I can't wait to experience an extended sabbath this Holy Week. With some practice and a gentle refocusing, it might be a stretch of seven days that allows you to unplug and refocus on what's really important. Go for it!

The Power of Deep-Seated Routines

Routines are so big a part of our everyday lives that, according to Charles Duhigg, they account for nearly 40% of our day.  In his book, The Power of Habit, he talks about routines and habits as if they hold a magical power.... because they do.

I've been reading through Duhigg's book and even got a copy for my leadership team members for Christmas.  It's that good of a read.  While I'm reading, I'm thinking (isn't reading funny like that?) about my own routines.

How about you?  How concrete are your routines on a daily basis?  Here's a brief quiz to get you thinking:

  • Do you get up at the same time every morning? / Do you get up at a different time each day?
  • Do you go to bed at the same time every night? / Do you go to bed whenever you feel like it?
  • Do you get in to work at the same time every day? / Do you get in to work at different times?
  • Do you work out regularly at scheduled times? / Do you workout at random times each week?

As you go through these questions, you start to get a feel for how deep-seated your routines are. I know for me, I'm very disciplined at some things but very scattered when it comes to other habits.  I'm a work in progress- you too?

Here's the thing- to the degree that you can cultivate deep-seated and routinized habits, strong, neat things will start to happen.  Here are just some that I've been uncovering:

  1. Because I get to work at roughly the same time each morning (between 7:05-7:15am), my morning traffic pattern is predictable and I stress less.  In addition, my colleagues can count on me to be there. This might also be a sign that I have my act together (debatable I'm sure).
  2. Because I write each Sunday morning for my newsletter group (you're not a member yet?), my readers can count on me.  They are then more likely to read my blog and when I have a special announcement, more likely to respond with generosity.  
  3. Because I take my kids to church each weekend, they can count on a weekly message from our pastor and this church-anchor breaks up their weekend into two distinct 24 hour periods of time.  
  4. Because I visit my spiritual director every 6 weeks, my soul is a little less likely to get crusty and whatever issues I'm working through are more likely to be resolved.  This makes me a more cheerful person and increasingly contemplative.  My family then looks forward to when I come home after spiritual direction, knowing that I'm going to be in a good mood.

Habits matter- they matter a whole lot.  They are part of our routines, whether we know it or not. How about you and I work to first inventory the routines that we have down pat. After that, I suggest working towards those routines that you know will pay off.  

For me, this includes getting to bed at a reasonable time each night.  It also involves no meat during Lent (which has been easier than I thought).

As you go through these questions, you start to get a feel for how deep-seated your routines are. I know for me, I'm very disciplined at some things but very scattered when it comes to other habits.  I'm a work in progress- you too?

Here's the thing- to the degree that you can cultivate deep-seated and routinized habits, strong, neat things will start to happen.  Here are just some that I've been uncovering:

  1. Because I get to work at roughly the same time each morning (between 7:05-7:15am), my morning traffic pattern is predictable and I stress less.  In addition, my colleagues can count on me to be there. This might also be a sign that I have my act together (debatable I'm sure).
  2. Because I write each Sunday morning for my newsletter group (you're not a member yet?), my readers can count on me.  They are then more likely to read my blog and when I have a special announcement, more likely to respond with generosity.  
  3. Because I take my kids to church each weekend, they can count on a weekly message from our pastor and this church-anchor breaks up their weekend into two distinct 24 hour periods of time.  
  4. Because I visit my spiritual director every 6 weeks, my soul is a little less likely to get crusty and whatever issues I'm working through are more likely to be resolved.  This makes me a more cheerful person and increasingly contemplative.  My family then looks forward to when I come home after spiritual direction, knowing that I'm going to be in a good mood.

Habits matter- they matter a whole lot.  They are part of our routines, whether we know it or not. How about you and I work to first inventory the routines that we have down pat. After that, I suggest working towards those routines that you know will pay off.  

For me, this includes getting to bed at a reasonable time each night.  It also involves no meat during Lent (which has been easier than I thought).  Both require small bits of sacrifice but they, in return, give me something as well.  Something of value that I can take with me throughout the day.

As a homework assignment, why not check out my friend Gene's website and podcast which features practical ways to stop feeling guilty over small things that don't matter.  

So here's to your well-formed conscience to guide you through the week.  You can do it, that is to say, you can live with joy and spontaneity and freedom... without the guilt.