Brenda's Blog

The Starbucks brand of coffee can teach you a lot about your own brand as a leader. How? Well, consider this for a moment … When coffee is in its natural coffee bean state, it’s a commodity that sells for just 1-2¢ per cup. When you add packaging and a brand name to it and place it on a grocery store shelf, the price of that coffee goes up to 5-25¢ per cup. Throw in service and personality by offering that coffee at, say, Dunkin Donuts, and the price rises to around 75¢ to $1.50 per cup.

Many years ago, a mentor of mine told me something very profound. I asked him what it was that kept certain managers moving up the corporate ladder while others stopped. What he said has never left me. He told me that those leaders who did not progress to the top stopped being coachable. A mindset that cripples some senior executives is the belief that they have made it to the top and are somehow beyond the need for feedback. They no longer feel that they have anything to learn, so they remain in a static place without growth. As a result, their careers also cease to grow.

Most senior leaders use negative language on the job without even realizing it. It may come from destructive phrases used unconsciously, the use of cynicism in your language, or simply from an unfortunate choice of words. When leaders use negative language, it can have destructive power on others.

As a busy exec, you’re constantly pulled in many directions. Headquarters wants your profit projections for next quarter a week in advance of when you planned, there’s a line of direct reports at your office door waiting to meet with you, your inbox is filled with 200+ unanswered emails, and a not-for-profit organization wants you to give the keynote speech at an upcoming charity dinner. In the meantime, your son needs help with his math homework, your spouse complains because you haven’t been home for dinner in a week, and your ailing parents’ financial situation needs your attention. Something has to give, right? But the question is: What?

As a leader of an organization, let’s face it: You can’t do it all yourself. So, you know you have to delegate, and you do genuinely try. But lately, you’ve found your to-do list getting longer… you spend most of your time in back-to-back meetings… your normal workday has extended to 12+ hours… and you’re working weekends just to catch up. If this is the case, you’re probably not delegating enough.

Imagine a life without clutter: No mail piled up in your “in” tray, you easily stay caught up on your e-mails. Your productivity is up, but your schedule isn’t packed. You avoid interruptions, arrive on time to appointments, and leave the office early enough to enjoy quality time with your family at the end of the day. Is this an accurate picture of your life? If not, you may need to beef up your organizational skills.

Lots of clients feel getting organized takes too much time and effort. But remember: The time and energy you take now will save you even more time and energy in the long run. So, how do you do it?

Set organizational goals. Focus your thoughts first. What’s most important for you from an organizational standpoint? Do you want to be able to retrieve any document quickly? Do you want another hour with your family in the evenings? Do you want to get to your top three priorities done every day without having to stay late? Be clear on what you want to achieve.

If you’re not sure how to get organized, ask for help. Ask your assistant to work with you on organizing your office, or hire a professional organizer. The important thing is to set up a system that works for you. If you do it yourself, start small. Allot a certain amount of time each week for organization until you have a good system in place. And remember: Being “neat” and being “organized” aren’t the same thing. You may have only one pile of papers on your desk but no idea what’s in it or how to find what you need. Only keep the items on your desk that are top priorities and that must be completed within the next week.

Do you find yourself...