With renewed buoyancy in the market, leaders have the opportunity to be bold and transformative.
For business leaders, strategies to refocus organisational goals and maximise new opportunities are needed; but so too are personal goals that will ensure work life balance.
At The Executive Connection, we have an exclusive group of experienced professional mentors who are experts in leadership development.
Their strategies are as diverse as they are, and all stem from the common vision to help increase the effectiveness of CEOs and business owners.
Here are some of their insights for being a better leader in the current business environment.
Jerry Kleeman, Chair, mentor and owner of Kleeman International
There are two strategies I believe every CEO should make. Firstly, put a real organisational focus on innovation and have an innovation focus at every meeting.
Secondly, CEOs need to invest in themselves by ensuring they exercise, get a reasonable amount of sleep and even take some time off.
Personal productivity can increase by as much as 20 per cent (sourced from Wellness expert Dr Dorian Dugmore) if you find the right work life balance.
Lyn Harding, Chair, mentor and former Director of Work2Live
My advice is to schedule in more time out during the year and consider it an investment, rather than a luxury. Athletes understand the importance of working hard as well as taking recovery phases.
This should apply equally for business leaders who are corporate athletes from a physical, mental and even an organisational cultural perspective.
Adam Sleigh, Chair, mentor and Director of Total Business Innovation
Business leaders should spend more time reflecting on ‘life learnings’. The pressure they face in the current fast-paced economic environment is real and will force them to be more agile this year.
Key life learnings are all about better balance in three key areas: family, themselves and business. Each of these areas carries its own specific ‘stress bucket’ and it is important that leaders ensure that none of these areas get to the point of ‘overflowing’.
Managing stresses in life can actually be pleasurable as not all stress is bad; it’s important to take the good ones along with the bad ones.
Graham Jenkins, Chair and mentor in Sydney
Be strategic quitters. Be clear about what not to do, and stop doing it. If that means resigning from a client or handing back a contract, so be it.
Use technology to reduce costs, become tech savvy and have people recommend new apps to you. There are new ideas, software and equipment constantly in development that can make doing business more effective.
Lastly, remember “turnover without profit is like eating soup with a fork; it keeps you busy but you stay hungry.”
Stephanie Christopher is Chief Executive Officer of The Executive Connection, which has more than 20,000 members globally and 1,200 members in Australia and New Zealand. For more information on The Executive Connection, contact Georgie Duckworth, Manager, Strategic Alliances, The Executive Connection on georgie.duckworth@tec.com.au
