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#Leadership: What Leaders Can Learn from a Long Run…Hiding your Shortcomings is Virtually Impossible in Long-Distance Running.

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With the 2015 Boston Marathon coming Monday, the world’s attention will be on the 30,000 runners as they endure the highs and lows of running 26.2 miles.

Runners leave the start line in last year’s Boston Marathon.Associated Press

Hiding your shortcomings is virtually impossible in long-distance running. More than in any other athletic endeavor, a marathon forces you to confront weaknesses head on, exposing your limitations as well as your strengths. That’s something that marathon-running corporate leaders know well, a group that includes T-Mobile chief executive John Legere, and Steve Reinemund and Bill Perez, the former chiefs of Pepsi and Nike, respectively.

Dambisa Moyo, an adviser to big businesses including Barclays BCS -1.92% PLC and soon to be two-time marathoner (she’ll be in the pack in London on April 26) explains what corporate leaders can learn from a long run.

The Middle of the Road Isn’t Such a Bad Place to Be
Ever wonder why runners jostle for position at the center of the road? The roads in many cities are bevelled or hump-shaped, a feature that helps rain run off to the roadside. Experienced marathoners know that it’s also the best place to run during a race, since running on an incline wreaks havoc on hips and joints, hindering performance.

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Think of your company’s core mission the same way. When you are running a marathon and you see a space opening on the margins or a clear track emerges on one side, it seems like an alluring shortcut–but it’s not. This is equally true in business. Though it’s tempting to veer off into new territory, leaders should keep business plans and growth strategies on the high ground. Innovation can improve efficiencies and productivity, these should be balanced against staying close to businesses in which a company’s core strengths and unique selling proposition lie.

It Takes a Team
Running a marathon can take a lot more than slipping on a pair of sneakers and getting out there to train. My training regimen included gym trainers, masseurs to keep supple, Pilates instructors, nutritionists, coaches, and podiatrists. To be sure, thousands of people complete marathons without these trappings. Yet even now, looking back, it is daunting to imagine how much harder it would have been to cross the finish line without all this support. It’s likely I would still have completed the race without all that help, but I’d be in worse shape for it.

Leaders who go it alone also achieve what they set out to do, but without a diverse team and broad support, the victories can be somewhat hollow. Victory is sweeter when the whole team – from the client-facing individual to the people in legal, compliance, and on the shop floor – works like a well-oiled machine.

Have a Mantra
Training for a marathon requires long, solitary hours on the road. Many marathoners have some form of mantra, whether it’s a playlist, a quote or a motto they repeat when things get tough. Diana Nyad, the 64-year-old woman who completed a 50-hour swim from Cuba to Florida, relied upon the John Lennon song “Imagine,” as one of the mantras to get her through her punishing feat.

Leaders must also rely on mantras to achieve their objectives. Guiding principles focus the mind of the manager who has to prioritize a range of alternatives. More importantly, these codified values are the tools to rally the troops. They push everyone in the organization to strive behind one strong message.

Never mind the Competition
Experienced runners counsel novices to “run their own race” — in short, staying focused even when an expectant mother or someone in a gorilla suit whizzes past you. In my specific case, a woman in her eighties (nearly twice my age) ran the marathon faster than I did.

Yet, if you listen to these wise words, you invariably end up passing at least one of the runners who passed you.

Careers, and especially executive careers, are not that unlike marathons. It’s easy to get caught up in who’s up (and who’s down), comparing your own trajectory to your peers’, or to the new hotshot in marketing who’s rising fast. It is tempting to let newfangled opportunities and the latest trends seduce you but staying focused on your goals and your own path is crucial. Whether racing down the track in your own time or resisting the allure of “opportunities” in the subprime mortgage market, leaders are rewarded for taking the road less traveled.

Be prepared
After months of intensive training for the New York City marathon last year, I thought I was prepared. I had glycogen supplements, electrolytes, and had completed my major training milestones. But I wasn’t prepared for the chilly temperatures and 30-mph winds that dogged race day.

You can’t plan for everything, no matter how much you train. Businesses pride themselves in being able to manage, grow and profit by understanding the risks they face. However, tail risks and exogenous factors – occurrences that are not anticipated, let alone planned for – are almost always the reason companies struggle.

Leaders can help companies brace for headwinds by fostering a culture that allows for creativity and flexibility so that companies can face the unexpected challenges.

Failure Happens
In running, you need a plan B. On race day last year, my performance ended up over one hour worse than my worst-case scenario due to the cold wind.

When your plan fails, you have to adapt quickly and find a way to get back home. Changing plans midstream is not without its costs: in a marathon it can add significant time to your race. Anyone running a company must be willing to cut losses when the costs of pursuing a particular plan become burdensome–consider the many leaders who have stuck too long with a losing proposition.

Whereas stodgy companies have the luxury to reject the fact that elements of their plans are failing and not adapt to changing circumstances, no marathoner can afford this without enormous costs. Even so, in a world of rapid technological advancements and innovation, laggards ignore change at their own peril.

Marathon runner, global economist, and author Dr. Dambisa Moyo serves on the board of directors of Barclays PLC, SABMiller and Barrick Gold.

WSJ.com | April 18, 2015 | DAMBISA MOYO

Leadership: The 3 Components Of Mental Strength That Will Help You Succeed…Building Mental Strength is About Learning to Regulate your Thoughts, Manage your Emotions, & Behave Productively despite Whatever Circumstances you Find yourself In.

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Whether you aim to become an elite athlete, or you aspire to become a prosperous entrepreneur, mental strength is the key to long-term success. After all, you need fierce determination and tenacity to reach your greatest potential.

mental strength to succeed

Fotolia.com

There will always be obstacles and challenges that stand in your way. Building mental strength will help you develop resilience to those potentials hazards so you can continue on your journey to success. Mentally strong people overcome setbacks with confidence, because adversity only makes them better.

Building mental strength is about learning to regulate your thoughts, manage your emotions, and behave productively despite whatever circumstances you find yourself in. Here’s why you need all three of those components for success:

1. Mental Strength Improves Your Ability to Think Realistically

Just because you think something, doesn’t make it true. Yet, many people allow their pessimistic thoughts to prevent them from taking action. Believing things like, “I always have bad luck,” can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Exaggeratedly positive thoughts can be equally detrimental. Underestimating how difficult a task will be or overestimating your abilities could you leave you unprepared for the reality of the situation. It’s imperative to have a realistic inner monologue that will help you recognize danger, while also giving you hope for the future.

Building mental strength involves learning to recognize and replace thinking errors. With practice, you can train your brain to think differently. An improved ability to recognize irrational thoughts will give you a more realistic outlook. Regulating your thoughts gives you better judgement and improved insight, which equals more success.

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2. Mental Strength Helps You Control Your Emotions
The road to success is often filled with emotional turmoil. If you lack adequate skills to cope with those emotions, you’ll struggle to delay gratification and resist temptation and you’ll be less likely to face your fears and take calculated risks. Mental strength is the key to controlling your emotions, so your emotions don’t control you.
Mentally strong people don’t ignore their emotions – in fact, they’re acutely aware of their feelings. They possess confidence in their ability to behave contrary to their emotions. So even when something feels uncomfortable, they’re willing to press forward if it is for the greater good.

Success requires a certain amount of personal growth – which means stepping out of your comfort zone. Mental strength will give you the courage to face your fears and become better, because you’ll trust in your ability to deal with discomfort. The more you step out of your comfort zone, the more confidence you’ll gain in your ability to manage your emotions.

3. Mental Strength Leads to More Productive Behavior

Mental strength helps you dedicate your finite resources – like time and energy – into productive activities. You won’t waste effort worrying about things you can’t control or complaining about things you can’t change. Instead, all your resources will go toward activities that will help you move toward your goal.

Developing mental strength will help you learn from mistakes so you can avoid repeating them. It’ll also help you recover from failure and overcome challenges. When you invest all of your effort into productive activities, you can accomplish incredible feats.

Mental strength ensures that you’re working smarter, not harder. Instead of becoming like a hamster running in a wheel, it helps you get rid of the counterproductive bad habits that are holding you back.

Building Mental Strength

Fortunately, everyone has the ability to build mental strength. Similar to developing physical strength, building mental strength requires hard work and exercise. But if you choose to make mental strength a priority, you’ll grow stronger and become better.

You can’t climb to the top without the strength to get there. Becoming mentally strong will separate you from the pack and help you achieve whatever goals you set for yourself.

Amy Morin is a psychotherapist and the author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, a bestselling book that is being translated into more than 20 languages.

 

Forbes.com | April 17, 2015 | Amy Morin 

Leadership: Here’s Why you Should Worry if a Woman just Got Promoted to a Top Position at your Company…Women are Seriously Underrepresented in Top Leadership. In the US, they Occupy just 20% of Senior Management Roles.

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It’s no secret that women are seriously underrepresented in top leadership. In the US, they occupy just 20% of senior management roles.

Sheryl-Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg.

So when you spot your first female colleague setting up shop in a corner office, you might be inclined to rejoice and relax, taking her promotion as a sign that the tides are finally turning.

But if there was ever a time to fret about the lack of gender diversity in your organization, it’s when the first woman is promoted into senior leadership.

According to new research from Columbia Business School and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, once a woman lands one of the five highest-paying executive spots in a given firm, the chances of another woman joining the executive team are a whopping 51% lower.

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Based on the study, forthcoming in the Strategic Management Journal, the specific reasons for this “negative spillover” phenomenon are unclear. But the researchers suggest that firms might be operating with “implicit quotas” in mind. In other words, companies feel pressure — from the media, investors, and their own employees — to increase the number of women in top positions. So when one woman finally does ascend the ranks, those companies might feel as though they’ve fulfilled their responsibility to create gender diversity.

“They orient their efforts away from promoting women, perhaps to the point of resistance,” study co-author David Gaddis Ross told Business Insider. That means it’s actually harder to get that second woman promoted than it was the first time around.

Researchers focused specifically on leadership at S&P 1,500 companies, where the number of top management positions held by women rose from 1.6% in 1992 to 8.7% in 2011. By creating simulated models of the companies’ executive teams, they found that women executives should have been clustered more closely, meaning there should have been multiple women on the same executive teams if they were assigned positions randomly. The reality, however, is that companies with top women executives typically had just one.

Perhaps you’re wondering if part of the problem is that women perceive same-gender coworkers as competition — so when they reach the top, they actively try to keep other women from joining them.

But the study’s findings don’t support that idea, Ross said. In firms led by female CEOs, the negative spillover effect is weakest, suggesting that those women are actually taking steps to combat the influence of implicit quotas.

Still, it’s not just women who should be concerned about women’s minimal presence in corporate leadership. Previous research has found that female representation in top management can boost a firm’s performance. Everyone has a vested interest in seeing more women become top leaders.

So how should you react when a woman receives a well-deserved promotion to an executive role? Essentially, Ross said, you have to redouble your efforts to promote women leaders — or else that progress may quickly stall.

The heartening news is that the proportion of women leaders is gradually increasing. That gives Ross hope that at some point, “the number of women in top management may override the effects of implicit quotas.”

Until then, don’t be fooled by the sight of a single female face in the executive team meeting. It’s only a sign that there’s yet more work to be done.

Businessinsider.com | Arpil 16, 2015 | 

http://www.businessinsider.com/new-study-on-women-and-leadership-2015-4#ixzz3XYdqLcFa

Leadership: How Big Data Is Changing The #CFO Role…Over the Next Decade, #Big Data is Going to be a Game-Changer & a Truly Disruptive Force Across the Globe

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As IMA found in its recently released 2014 Salary Survey, salaries remained stagnant or declined for accounting and finance professionals in traditional areas of responsibility, such as taxation and audit. The finance function is evolving and CFOs are expected to know more about the trends affecting businesses today, including big data and technological innovations. I recently spoke with Krish Venkataraman, CFO and COO, of Syncsort about this “new breed” of CFOs.

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IMAGE: Getty Images

IMAGE: Getty Images

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Jeff Thomson: You left NYSE Euronext after several years to join Syncsort, a much smaller company. What prompted you to make the change?

Krish Venkataraman: Syncsort is a thriving organization with a 40-year track record. It has reached a point where I can add significant value as it positions itself for aggressive organic and inorganic growth. It’s a case of it being the right role, at the right company, at the right time.

Over the next decade, big data is going to be a game-changer and a truly disruptive force across the globe, and Syncsort is poised to continue its role as a leader in this charge. The company’s management team knows how to deliver on its promises and I have a track record of doing the same, so it’s a great fit.

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JT: How would you describe the CFO’s relationship with the CIO? How can CFOs open the lines of communication with the CIO, as their roles continue to converge?

KV: The relationship between the CFO and CIO is crucial. As a CFO who also understands technology, I know this first-hand. After all, I came from an organization with over 2,000 engineers at NYSE Euronext. So when engineers come to me with an idea for a new product that requires financing, I don’t just see it as a cost, but as a potentially lucrative investment. On the flip side, because I understand technology, I can also smell a bad investment.

Back to your original question: How can CFOs and CIOs strengthen their relationship? For the longest time, CFOs and CIOs spoke different languages. Now, with the level of investment that companies are making in technology and the amount they must invest to protect themselves from a regulatory and security standpoint, CFOs and CIOs have to learn to talk to each other.

Here at Syncsort, I’m not only responsible for the traditional finance roles like treasury, banking, and M&A but, more importantly, I’m also responsible for the operational aspects of the business, from IT to legal. It really helps me keep the right balance between innovation and operational stability. I’ve learned that when finance and technology intersect, you can do great things.

JT: CFOs are increasingly looked to as bean “sprouters,” as opposed to just bean counters. How can the CFO leverage his/her understanding and use of technology to drive business strategy?

KV: As companies become more and more reliant on technology, and as technology becomes the driver of competitive advantage, it’s not enough for CFOs to just be audit folks anymore. They have to be drivers of innovation who are able to see technology not just as a cost center, but as a key driver of that innovation.

The role of the CFO has fundamentally shifted in the last decade. With more focus on bringing operational stability and efficiency into an organization, CFOs in many organizations are now championing this transformation. Here at Syncsort – as in my prior role at NYSE Euronext — I wear two hats and have two titles. I believe the role of a CFO is to be both a good steward and a good strategist. I have to provide strategic and implementation expertise, understand how to innovate through technology, and ensure that the firm’s risks are managed not only on the financial spectrums, but more critically on the operational aspects, as well.

In short, I am a hands-on CFO who believes in the power of understanding the business from within and helping the CEO and the management team transform the organization. I like to say that I am part of a new breed of CFOs who operate at the intersection of financial services, technology and big data.

JT: In late 2013, IMA released a report on the top 10 technology trends that have potential to significantly reshape the business landscape, including mobile, big data and the cloud. What do you believe are the most important tech trends CFOs should be aware of and why?

KV: Two words: big data. Over the next decade, big data has the potential to be a real game-changer. But it’s just rows and columns on a spreadsheet without the right tools. We have gone from a world in which firms have too little data to a world in which firms have so much data they have difficulty making sense of these data and drawing insights from them.

Here at Syncsort, we use our own technology to analyze what types of acquisitions we should be considering, and reduce the risk associated with acquiring companies that won’t be profitable in the future. That’s an example of how companies can harness the power of big data and predictive analytics to position their companies for success.

JT: How can aspiring CFOs prepare for the greater emphasis on technology? What skills are most important?

KV: CFOs have to get out of their comfort zones and learn to speak the same language as CIOs. In the past, CFOs viewed technology as purely a cost center. But it can also be the biggest driver of innovation at a company.

As a CFO you have to make sure that you approach technology from both angles. Both sides of your persona – the steward who contains costs and the strategist looking for lucrative investments and innovations – must be working at the same time, all the time. It’s a balancing act. CFOs who get it right will be transformational leaders inside their organizations.

Forbes.com | April 16, 2015 | Jeff Thompson

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffthomson/2015/04/16/how-big-data-is-changing-the-cfo-role/

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Leadership: An Amazon Exec Shares 20 Mistakes Inexperienced Managers Make…The Best Way to Deliver Unpopular Decisions is at a Team Meeting where you have Ample Time to Give the Reasoning behind the Decision & take Q&A.

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Below are some mistakes I made as a new manager or have seen other new managers make.

Directions Man

Be proactive, not reactive.

Experienced managers still make some of these mistakes, though hopefully fewer:

Performance Management

1. Being slow to deal with performance issues — Smoke becomes fire. If you take note of performance issues early you can give gentle corrective feedback. If you’re too slow to notice you have to give stronger feedback, and the performance issues may be harder to reverse.

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2. Not documenting poor performance — Documenting poor performance via email helps employees understand the gravity of the situation (“This email summarizes the discussion we just had”) and it is also helpful to have on hand if it comes time to terminate the employee.

3. Not documenting good performance — Documenting good performance via email, to the employee alone or to a wider audience, is a great way to recognize their contributions to the team and company. It’s also a good habit to regularly document good performance of team members for your own purposes, so you can remember what you want to praise them for at annual review time.

Career Development

4. Not getting to know your employees — It’s great to know the names of all your employees’ kids. It’s even better to know the type of work each employee most likes to do, their particular pain points within the team or company, what their career objectives are (depth, breadth, management), or why they might be thinking about taking a different job or moving to a different company. You need to develop a rapport and level of trust with each employee before they’ll start to share these things with you.

5. Not paying attention to your high-performing employees — If you’re very satisfied with how an employee is performing you need to turn the tables and invest in making them more satisfied with their job. Find ways for them to do more of what makes them happy and less of what doesn’t.

6. Not investing in developing your employees — Every employee needs to be developed, either to support the career development (and retention) of strong performers or to improve the performance of weaker employees. Every year you should be trying to raise the level of performance of every employee.

Leadership

7. Thinking too small — A successful leader is going to create growth and opportunity for their team. A leader who thinks small is unlikely to do either. Instead of planning how to grow your business 100%, plan how to grow it 10x or 100x.

8. Not explicitly allocating resources — Explicitly managing resources means prioritizing projects, specifying how many (or which) resources will work on each, and in what order. Highly effective teams may be able to self-organize extremely well. New managers give less effective teams too much freedom to self-organize, leading to sub-optimal resource allocation.

9. Poor delivery of unpopular decisions — The difference in how employees receive unpopular decisions often depends on how those decisions are delivered. The more important, or more unpopular, the decision, the greater the need to manage its delivery. In my experience, the best way to deliver unpopular decisions is at a team meeting where you have ample time to give the reasoning behind the decision and take Q&A. Good managers explain why the decision is made. Bad managers say, “Because the boss said so.”

10. Being slow to resolve team pain points — New managers don’t pay attention to or understand their team’s pain points. Good managers are always tracking their team’s pain points, devising strategies to reduce or resolve them, and then moving on to the next pain point.

Recruiting

11. Not investing in sourcing — Good managers source candidates themselves through their personal networks and take ownership over sourcing in other ways, treating any candidates that the recruiting department sends their way as gravy. Inexperienced managers are satisfied with whatever recruiting sends them.

12. Lazy recruiting — Good managers act quickly on any recruiting activity. They review resumes as soon as they come in, make time in their schedules for phone screens, sell their positions to candidates, make quick hiring decisions, and are aggressive in getting from offer to acceptance. New managers act more slowly. They trust the recruiting department to brief candidates on the position and handle other candidate communications. Lazy recruiting loses candidates to other companies or internal teams.

13. Reactive sourcing and recruiting — Bad managers wait until they have an approved position and a job description up on the company’s website. Good managers are always sourcing and recruiting, and may be chatting up a prospective candidate today about a position they may not have open for a year or more.

Hiring

14. Not being clear on the requirements of the role — Inexperienced managers don’t spend time thinking about exactly what they need from a new hire. They hire generic candidates with generic skills. Good managers have a more narrow profile in mind, which helps them write stronger job descriptions and generate more qualified candidates.

15. Lowering the bar — Inexperienced managers have low standards, or lower their standards, in an effort to make a hire. Good managers know that they’re much better off keeping a high bar and waiting for the right candidate.

Organizational Development

16. Letting dotted lines proliferate — It sucks to have two bosses. Good managers seek to have clear lines of authority and prevent their employees from getting caught in the middle between competing bosses. Inexperienced managers let other managers carve out chunks of their resources.

17. Letting the team get swamped — Inexperienced managers keep piling more and more work on the team. Experienced managers either grow the team size to handle the increased load, or deflect the increased work. It takes an experienced manager who’s earned the trust of leadership to push back effectively, or to effectively justify why the team needs more headcount.

18. Being reactive — Inexperienced managers need their bosses to tell them when their team is over or under-resourced or unbalanced. The team might have too few or too many resources, or it might be heavy or light on a certain role (e.g. QA:SDE ratio) given the other resources on the team. Experienced managers are anticipating how the needs of the team are going to change over time and then working proactively working to adapt their organization’s size and structure.

Visibility

19. Taking the credit — New managers let themselves take credit for their team’s work. Good managers attempt to redirect kudos and credit onto their team, or ideally, individual team members.

20. Forwarding the blame — New managers pin the blame on team members. “Joe was out of the office and wasn’t able to finish this in time.” Good managers put the blame on themselves and understand that any failing within the team is a failing of the leader.

Ian McAllister is GM and product leader at Amazon. For more from Ian, follow him on Twitter.

Quora is the best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and get insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

 

Businessinsider.com | April 15, 2015 | Quora

http://qr.ae/d5Dmf#ixzz3XTOnYHsk

Strategy: Google HR Boss says Asking these Questions will Instantly Improve your Job Interviews…”Describe a Situation Where you were Responsible for Getting Others to Make a Change.”

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Managers may want to keep interviews conversational or unique — asking weird questions like “What was the last costume you wore?” — but you’ll be doing both yourself and the candidate a disservice, says Google’s SVP of People Operations Laszlo Bock in his new book “Work Rules!”

job interview

Interviews tailored to specific jobs and skills will yield the best results, says Google HR boss Laszlo Bock.

Instead, he recommends that managers of all companies, regardless of size or industry, stick to structured, job-specific interviews.

Bock cites a 1998 study from the University of Iowa’s Frank Schmidt and Michigan State University’s John Hunter that considered 85 years of hiring data from American companies. Schmidt and Hunter found that the best predictor of a candidate’s success is a work sample test, followed closely by a test of general cognitive ability and a structured interview. They found unstructured interviews to be notably insufficient predictors of success in a job.

Bock explains that Google uses an internal tool called qDroid that arranges a list of interview questions depending on what type of position is being filled. The questions are behavioral, dealing with past scenarios, and situational, dealing with hypothetical scenarios.

Bock believes that more companies don’t use these types of interviews because they require a lot of time creating questions and then testing which ones are most effective, but he insists the return on the time investment is worth it.

Like this Article ??  Share it !   First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services, is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

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He recommends looking at the questions included in the career resources section of the US Department of Veterans Affairs website. “Use them,” Bock writes, adjusting them as needed. “You’ll do better at hiring immediately.”

Below, we’ve highlighted 28 great interview questions from the VA, arranged by job level and skill:

Level I: Non-management staff.

Level II: Team leaders.

Level III: Mid-level managers.

Level IV: Executives.

Creative thinking

I. “Tell me about two suggestions you have made to your supervisor in the past year. How did you come up with the ideas? What happened? How do you feel about the way things went?”

II. “Tell me about a time when a co-worker had a good idea and you agreed but no one else was willing to listen. How did you handle the situation and what was the outcome?”

III. “What projects have you started on your own? Why did you start the projects? What did you learn from doing the projects? What were the results?”

IV. “Describe a creative endeavor you can take ownership for that impacted on the efficiency or effectiveness of your organization.”

laszlo bockNeilson Barnard/Getty ImagesGoogle’s SVP of People Operations Laszlo Bock.

Customer service

I. “Tell about a situation where you assisted a co-worker. What was the situation? What was your involvement and what was the outcome?”

II. “Tell me specifically which co-workers in your organization are your customers. What have you done specifically to improve the service you give these internal customers?”

III. “Tell me specifically how you have communicated to line staff that they have permission to go around the ‘chain of command’ to expedite resolution of a patient problem. What has been the result of such communication? Success stories?”

IV. “In the past, how have you obtained and incorporated customer feedback into your organization’s planning and service standards? Give specific examples.”

Flexibility/adaptability

I. “Tell me about the last new procedure you had to learn in your job. Tell me what specifically was the hardest aspect of learning the new procedure. Tell me specifically what you liked best about learning the new procedure. How well is the new procedure working now?”

II. “Describe a situation where you were responsible for getting others to make a change. What role did you play and what actions did you take? What was the outcome? If you had to do it again, would you do anything differently?”

III. “Tell me about a specific time when staff reductions required restructuring of the workload. How did you do the restructuring? Who specifically did you involve? How did you involve them? Why did you involve those whom you did?”

IV. “Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to extricate yourself from a difficult situation. What caused the situation? How did your solution work?”

Interpersonal effectiveness

I. “Describe a situation where you felt you had not communicated well. How did you correct the situation?”

II. “Describe a time when you’ve had to work with strong-willed peers. What did you do? How did you handle them so you could influence their decisions?”

III. “Describe the most challenging negotiation in which you were involved. What did you do? What were the results for you? What were the results for the other party?”

IV. “Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone’s opinion. How did you prepare for the presentation? What points did you emphasize? How was the information received?”

Organizational stewardship

I. “Give an example of a time you defended your organization. How did you feel about doing it? How did you go about doing it? What was the response of the other party/parties?”

II. “Describe a time when you worked as a member of a team to accomplish a goal of your organization. What role did you play? Describe how the team worked together. What was the outcome?

III. “Describe a time when one of your staff or your work team was working above work expectations. What was your response? How did the other party/parties respond?”

IV. “Tell me specifically what you have done to create an atmosphere of trust and empowerment within your sphere of influence. What tangible results have you seen from your efforts?”

work rulesHachetteBock’s new book, “Work Rules!”

Personal mastery

I. “Name three things you have done in the past two years to grow in your job.”

II. “Describe a situation where you can take credit for the growth and development of a staff member or co-worker. Be specific about your role in terms of interactions and the outcome.”

III. “In a supervisory role, have you ever had to discipline or counsel an employee? What was the nature of the discipline? What steps did you take? How did that make you feel? How did you prepare yourself?”

IV. “Tell me about a specific time you sought specific feedback on your performance from subordinates. Specifically, how did you use the feedback? Cite specific changes resulting from the feedback.”

Systems thinking

I. “How does the work you are currently doing affect your organization’s ability to meet its mission and goals? Do you think your work is important? If yes, why? If no, why not?”

II. “In your current job, what organizational change have you made or contributed to that you are proud of? How did you go about making the change? What has been the impact of the change?”

III. “Describe a change you are responsible for that improved the performance of your work area or organization. How did: 1) you come up with the idea for the change, 2) you go about implementing the change, 3) staff respond to the change, and 4) you measure the outcome of the change? In looking back, what things would you do differently?”

IV. “Tell me about a specific decision that you made within your organization that had unexpected consequences outside your organization. How did you deal with those consequences?”

You can find many more questions at the VA’s website.

Businessinsider.com | April 15, 2015 | 

http://www.businessinsider.com/google-laszlo-bock-interview-questions-2015-4#ixzz3XOWKYByz

Leadership:10 Success Habits that will Dramatically Improve You/Your Business…Successful People Strongly Believe in Something & are Driven to Manifest It.

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In order to achieve success, you need to adopt the habits that will drive you to the top.  Successful people strongly believe in something and are driven to manifest it.

tightrope

Their path is so strong that it keeps them true to their ideas and principles, despite the inevitable times of adversity and disagreements.

Related: 5 Weekend Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

Financial gain is not the sole definition here. “Success” means a deep commitment to the pursuit of the fullness of life.  Along the way, the following ten habits of success will serve to improve all areas of life, both personal and professional.

1. See the value in every detail.

To be successful, emphasize the results of your actions. Pay attention to each action as you strive for success and invest meaning and value into each step.

Any action lacking a clear purpose leaves you vulnerable to reacting to unexpected challenges. So, make a habit of directing each detail of your business toward your larger visions and goals. Train your mind to do the things that are especially hard and challenging.

When each detail has value, you have control over making it bold, determined and full of purpose. It is through this detail that you carve out your own personal fulfillment.

 

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2. Practice mental clarity.

Avoid getting bogged down in mental tasks. Learn to make quick and conclusive decisions. Mental clarity makes it easier to see which decisions bring you closer (or take you further) from your goals.

Before altering a decision, however, carefully consider the pros and cons of any change. Impulsiveness may lead to disaster. Any time you change a previous decision, use the opportunity to learn what needs to go better next time, and further clarify the details that will meet your standards.

Making decisions quickly and changing decisions intelligently leads to balance.

Related: Your Comfort Zone Is Killing Your Success

3. Listen by sensing messages, not just hearing them.

Listening takes a tremendous amount of self-control, to not only check your own impulses for getting what you want, but also analyzing those you work with to understand what is really being communicated.

Make a habit of paying less attention to the surface messages people convey and instead listen for what is underneath.Tune in to your gut to “sense” other people’s emotions and feelings. Most of what they communicate is nonverbal. Truth is often expressed through body language, tone of voice, eye contact and touch.

Without the discipline to listen and sense the underlying messages, you may derail your success and see it get “lost in translation.”Student Sitting and WritingFlickr / Patrick Gage Kelley

4. Make lists.

Adopt the habit of writing down what you want accomplish for the next day, week, month and year, then prioritize the list. This way, you’ll effectively allocate the time necessary to each task in accordance with its importance.

Remember that a list is a contract. The moment you write things down, you have agreed to make these things happen. Action items in written form are closer to being accomplished than are the things you merely think about.

5. Write down your thoughts in a journal.

Writing out your thoughts is a useful habit for translating your thoughts into tangible form. Writing gives perspective to what you want, where you are at, what things you do not want to repeat and what needs to be accomplished, to get to your goals.

When you write, the left brain is distracted by the task, making room for the more innovative right brain to express your out-of-the box, creative ideas which are necessary to navigate your way through your goals.

Journaling itself is the ultimate practice for finding perspective in solving problems.There is no better way to come up with practical solutions than to spend time ironing out patterns, successes, failures, improvements and the generation of new ideas.

6. Love what you do.

All the elite success stories we see, from Oprah to Bill Gates to Walt Disney, are people doing the things they most want to do, and earning substantial income as a result. To emulate these people, you must commit to channel your work in a direction where that work adds value to society.

Financial worth is merely a side benefit — a reflection of the value you have added to other people’s lives.

7. Be willing to pay the price.

Success takes sacrifice. Develop the habit of “showing up” — consistently and every day. Be committed to the long haul and be willing to expend unlimited time and energy working toward your goals.

There is no path to success through laziness. Many entrepreneurs are not as successful as they could be because they aren’t willing to “pay the price” to reach those higher levels of commitment.

Make it a habit to identify the distractions you need to give up that consume time but add no tangible value to your life or business. Place those distractions into the category of leisure and commit to putting work responsibilities first, and leisure second.

The number one focus in success is achieving the goals you set to get there.

8. Practice self-coaching.

Entrepreneurs who are exceptionally successful make a habit of maintaining a positive inner dialogue, so make positive self-talk your habit. You can either talk yourself through challenges or talk your way deeper into them.

Negativity takes no effort. That type of lackadaisical attitude has no room in your life. Adopt a positive outlook to be successful. This does not mean you have to be happy all the time, just that you do not let negative emotions drag you down.People Running MarathonFlickr / Chris Brown

9. Engage in physical activity.

There is no better way to clear your mind, connect with your creativity, increase your brain chemistry and improve your sleep quality than to engage in physical activity. Make it a habit to increase your “aliveness” and improve your health, happiness and longevity.

The brain gets tired when engaged in constant mental activity, while physical activity is a necessary pick-me-up. So engage in some type of physical activity every day.

10. Give back.

To be truly successful, you need a life mission that reflects your desire to make a significant difference in the lives of others. Your main motivation should not be money. The non-monetary purpose of your career is what will bring you the happiness, self-satisfaction and significance you are striving for.

Be clear on why you want to do what you do. If you are plagued with a hunger for money alone, then that is what you will be: plagued. Find the deeper purpose of your vision and drive it to better the lives of others.

In reality success is not something to be enjoyed by the select few. We all have equal opportunity. The main differences are limited to motivation, will, effort and habit. Therefore, be someone who attains success by being bold, determined, patient, creative and independent. Good habits lay the groundwork for your ability to make it to the top.

Related: Peter Thiel: Luck Is Just an Excuse For Not Working Hard Enough 

 

Businessinsider.com | April 13, 2015 | SHERRIE CAMPBELL, ENTREPRENEUR

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/244651#ixzz3XE3AbHiC

Leadership: 3 Ways To Motivate Your Team In The Changing World Of Work…Leadership Today Demands both Influence & Inspiration. Which Require a Commitment to Meet People Where they Are.

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As the pace of change accelerates across the workforce, there’s a significant need for leadership to step up. Yet as the “Workforce 2020” study from Oxford Economics uncovered, barely half of surveyed CEOs said their leadership knows how to inspire and empower employees. That’s not going to cut it.

shutterstock_268785848

Where Leadership Styles Come From

In my life, two learnings have shaped the type of leader I’ve become more than others – one from childhood, the other from parenthood.

As a native of South Africa, I grew up during both the apartheid era and the Rainbow Nation under Nelson Mandela. I watched a new chapter in the history of my country unfold before my eyes. I saw how a leader could unite people in spite of vast differences – color, socioeconomic situation, and life experience – to build a nation committed to reconciliation and transformation.

How many of you have taken the online quiz “what’s your superpower?” (Guilty.) Nelson Mandela’s superpower was revealed in the way he connected with people to engage and motivate them to work for a better life. Not just for themselves, but for others. And while I can say that’s not the superpower I apparently have, it’s something I work to emulate every day.

 

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Leadership today demands both influence and inspiration. Which require a commitment to meet people where they are. Nelson Mandela said it best, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, it goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”

Another key influence on my leadership style is something very personal, my two sons, now ages 8 and 11. They remind me I’m required to embrace an ever-changing balance of power and influence – both as a parent and in the workplace.  Access to information, data, and social networks has changed the dynamic in both. My boys ask questions, give opinions, and regularly question my authority (sound familiar?)  – empowered by that access to information. So just as I as a parent must adapt my style to match the exhausting pace at which my children learn and absorb the world around them, I have to do the same thing in business when dealing with my team.

So while leading may not be as easy as it used to be, successful organisations don’t panic by change – they embrace it.  As the world of work evolves, so must our approach to leadership

Effective leaders inspire and motivate talented employees to maximize their potential. And that’s never been more important, as our work forces become more diverse and more globally dispersed than ever. One day I may call an office in London or San Francisco my work location, the next it may be my kitchen table, and soon after a client’s office or British Air row 11.

To stay connected and motivated, employees need a simpler, standard way of collaborating and communicating – whether full-time or contingent, co-located or virtual, the youngest generation or the oldest.

Certainly there’s no “one size fits all” solution. But technology today is simplifying the landscape for employees and companies. Here are three things I keep in mind:

1. Keep things simple

When it comes to managing talent in this global and hyper-connected economy, simply automating old processes for recruiting, payroll, time tracking, expenses, and the like won’t work. Instead, you need simpler, standardized processes to motivate and align employees with business goals. And every faction of the workforce – full-time employees, a growing contingent workforce, and leadership – must be considered when determining whether you’re making the business simpler and not just more automated.

 

2. Invest in your employees

Today’s workforce does not yet possess the skills needed to keep up with technology advancements. Companies are complicit – too often talking about how to develop talent rather than actually investing in it. The “Workforce 2020” study found that only 40 percent of employees are given the opportunity to expand their skill sets. That’s not enough at a time when entire industries are obliterated with each advent of new technology.

What’s the answer? Creating a workplace culture that encourages learning starts at the top. Leadership teams must understand that new skills cannot just be acquired just through hiring – a very expensive and inefficient propositioncosting in the 1.25 to 1.4 times base salary range. Better to give your current employees easy access to resources that are relevant, insightful, and engaging – anytime and anywhere. The technology is there to support this: social platforms for collaborative learning and development, programs that track learning progress, and open content MOOC-style courses from the top content providers and universities around the globe.

 

3. Maintain a focus on customer success

Nothing unites a team better than customer success. Remember how your young kids were motivated by rewards to try harder? I can say a certain candy bar worked miracles in my house. With customer success at the center of everything you do, I believe organisations will innovate faster and more often, delivering better products and service, and helping customers remove complexity from their own businesses. The result? Happier customers and happier employees.

This story also appeared on the SAP Business Trends community.

 

Forbes.com | April 13, 2015 | Mike Ettling

Strategy: 5 Email Lessons Every Employee Should Learn From The Sony Hacking Incident…Here are 5 Lessons Every Employee Should Understand when it Comes to using Company Email

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Almost everyone in the world has heard about the incident where Sony Pictures Entertainment became the victim of a cyber attack and sensitive information was leaked to the public, including internal company emails. While this situation highlighted the issue of cyber-security, it also provides a good warning for all employees on the use of email in business.

girl-typing-on-computer-5

Here are five lessons every employee should understand when it comes to using company email:

Lesson #1: Assume no expectation of privacy.Emails you send using your employer’s email system are generally considered to be company property. So be aware that your employer could potentially read every email you send.

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Lesson #2: Don’t assume your employer’s email system is secure. Employees at Sony Pictures thought that no one except the intended recipient would ever see their emails. Unfortunately, that was an incorrect assumption and the insensitive and inappropriate content of some of the leaked emails wreaked all kinds of havoc. To be on the safe side, assume your work emails are not secure and that the system could be hacked.

Lesson #3: Be a role model of professionalism in every email. Think before you send anything via email and consider the repercussions that could occur if the email you’re about to send gets published for anyone in the world to read. Strive to make every email you write a representation of your high level of professionalism, character and integrity.

Lesson #4: Avoid email for sensitive communications. Decide if the topic for discussion should be live or via email, especially if it’s of a sensitive nature. It’s okay to send an email follow-up after a meeting to ensure attendees are aware of the required action items, but don’t use email to gossip, badmouth others or share your personal opinions – especially if they’re negative.

Don’t use company email to send non-company “stuff” such as goofy cat videos or pictures of your latest beach vacation. And this should go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: NEVER write anything in an email that could legally compromise you or your employer, such as comments about someone’s race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or anything that falls into the category of “protected classes” under state laws.

Lesson #5: Consider a conversation instead of email. Over 108.7 billion business emails were sent and received every day during 2014, according to research by The Radicati Group, Inc. That’s an average of 121 daily emails for business users. You might think a live discussion will take longer than sending an email, but for many topics, a quick telephone call or walking over to chat with a coworker will take less time and also help you avoid multiple back-and-forth emails.

Bottom Line: Email is a tool used by almost every business and employee in the world. It can be a wonderful communication device, but use it responsibly and respectfully so you won’t inadvertently damage your career.

~ Lisa Quast, author of the book, Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want. Every Time.   Join me on Twitter @careerwomaninc

Forbes.com | April 13, 2015 | Lisa Quast 

Strategy: 12 Highly Influential People Share the Morning Routines that Set them Up for Success…Leaders have Crafted Morning Rituals that Maximize their Energy, Productivity, & Creativity all Day Long

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Whether you’re up-and-at-’em when day breaks or stumbling out of bed, the way you spend the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day.  That’s why many leaders have crafted morning rituals that maximize their energy, productivity, and creativity all day long.

We asked a mix of high-profile CEOs, authors, investors, and entrepreneurs: What is your morning routine? Read on to find out what they said.

 

Kara Goldin, CEO of Hint Water, checks email immediately after waking up.

Kara Goldin, CEO of Hint Water, checks email immediately after waking up.

Kara Goldin

Kara Goldin.

Goldin wakes up at 5:30 on the dot every morning and heads directly to her inbox, which gives her a clear understanding of what the rest of the day will be like.

After that, she embarks on a hike with her husband and dogs through the Marin hillside of California. While this may seem like a nonessential step in her morning routine, Goldin says it’s absolutely crucial.

“Without my hike, I feel unbalanced,” she says. “I need this time to clear my head, connect with what I love, and center myself so that I can handle any challenge that might come up in the day ahead.”

Read more about Kara Goldin’s morning routine here.

Gary Vaynerchuk, entrepreneur and investor, has a three-hour morning routine that gets him ready for the day.

Gary Vaynerchuk, entrepreneur and investor, has a three-hour morning routine that gets him ready for the day.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk.

Vaynerchuk, cofounder and CEO of VaynerMedia, plans his mornings down to the minute.

First thing, he catches up on the news: ESPN, Business Insider, and a news aggregator called Nuzzel.

Next, he communicates with his massive Twitter following: “I search my handle and try to find anything I might have missed from the night before, or even that morning, considering my European and Asian bases. I respond to as many people as possible.”

The most unique aspect of his morning routine, however, occurs in the car on the way to the office: He calls his mother, father, or sister, depending on who he spoke with last.

“I catch up with them. Talk to them. Just learn what they’re up to,” he says. “I really value those small moments.”

Read more about Gary Vaynerchuk’s morning routine here.

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Scott Adams, the creator of ‘Dilbert,’ designed his morning routine to maximize his creativity.

Scott Adams, the creator of 'Dilbert,' designed his morning routine to maximize his creativity.

S. Miles

Scott Adams.

The first 20 minutes of Adams’ day are exactly the same, every day. Putting his physical body on autopilot “frees his brain for creativity.”

Concentrating his creative hours in the morning makes sense for Adams. “My value is based on my best ideas in any given day, not the number of hours I work,” he says.

In his home office, he enjoys a delicious combo of protein bar and coffee. “I give myself this ‘treat’ knowing I can be trained like any other animal,” he says. “And I want to train myself to enjoy waking up and being productive. (It totally works.)”

Read more about Scott Adams’ morning routine here.

Billionaire John Paul DeJoria starts his day the same way, no matter where he is.

Billionaire John Paul DeJoria starts his day the same way, no matter where he is.

Kevin Winter/Getty

John Paul DeJoria.

DeJoria, the cofounder of Patrón tequila and Paul Mitchell hair products, starts every morning with five minutes of quiet reflection.

“Doesn’t matter where I’m at, which home I’m in, or what hotel room I’m visiting,” he says. “The very second I wake up, I stay in bed for about five minutes and just be.”

During those five minutes, he tries to be truly “present,” and is grateful for what he has.

After that, the day begins: He examines his calendar for the day, checks in with his assistants, and makes any pressing phone calls.

One thing he doesn’t do: Email. “I know, I’ve been told I’m a bit old school, but it all gets done just the way I need it to,” he says. “It allows me to focus on the most important things that need my attention.”

Read more about John Paul DeJoria’s morning routine here.

Executive Brad Lande became a morning person with these five habits.

Executive Brad Lande became a morning person with these five habits.

Brad Lande

Brad Lande.

Lande, head of Birchbox Man, wasn’t born a morning person.

After a series of life changes — starting and selling a business, getting engaged, going on a meditation retreat, buying a home — Lande realized that the little things, like your morning routine, can have an effect on your health and well-being.

Now his morning routine has five key steps:

  1. Hot water with lemon
  2. Meditation
  3. Yoga
  4. Face oil
  5. Breakfast smoothie

“I did not arrive at them overnight,” he says. “I discovered them along the way, and they have shifted my mornings from a sleepy blur to a clear awakening.”

Read more about Brad Lande’s morning routine here.

‘Shark Tank’ investor Kevin O’Leary checks the international markets the moment he gets up.

'Shark Tank' investor Kevin O'Leary checks the international markets the moment he gets up.

Courtesy of Kevin O’Leary

Kevin O’Leary, a.k.a. “Mr. Wonderful.”

O’Leary, who is also the chairman of O’Leary Financial, wakes up at 5:45 a.m. to check the Asian and European bond markets.

“Good investors don’t stay in bed in North America with strings untied overseas, because if something happens in London or Tokyo while they’re sleeping, everything could change,” he says.

After that, he works out for 45 minutes while catching up on some business TV: “Your health is one investment that is guaranteed to pay dividends!”

Then he’s off to the office by the time the markets open at 9:30 a.m.

Read more about Kevin O’Leary’s morning routine here.

Andrew Yang, CEO of Venture for America, keeps his a.m. routine simple.

Andrew Yang, CEO of Venture for America, keeps his a.m. routine simple.

Courtesy of Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang.

The first Yang does when he wakes up? Push the dog off him.

Next he’ll check on his wife and son. If his son is awake, he’ll spend time with him before heading to the office. If not, he hits the gym.

If he needs an a.m. pick-me-up, he’ll open a memo file on his phone and record three things he is thankful for. “The things I’ve typed on other days are still there,” he says. “It’s a long list. Always helps.”

Read more about Andrew Yang’s morning routine here.

Executive Kat Cole drinks 24 ounces of water every morning when she wakes up.

Executive Kat Cole drinks 24 ounces of water every morning when she wakes up.

Kat Cole

Kat Cole.

Cole, group president of FOCUS Brands, which includes Auntie Ann’s, Carvel, and Cinnabon, has a morning routine that varies depending on whether she’s at home or on the road.

But no matter where she is, she always starts her day by drinking 24 ounces of water, a habit she picked up when she was traveling in eastern Africa doing humanitarian work.

“We are so lucky to have access to clean drinking water, and I think about how grateful I am for that almost every day,” Cole says.

Her routine also includes exercise, and often a breakfast or coffee meeting as well.

“Talking, learning, and thinking with other humans creates a purposeful start to any day,” she says.

Read more about Kat Cole’s morning routine here.

NFL Hall-of-Famer Fran Tarkenton has followed the same morning routine for decades.

NFL Hall-of-Famer Fran Tarkenton has followed the same morning routine for decades.

Fran Tarkenton

Fran Tarkenton.

Tarkenton, who is also founder of GoSmallBiz.com and Tarkenton Companies, swears by his consistent a.m. routine.

“Sticking to a routine has always brought me clarity of thought, a positive mindset, and most of all, successful results for the rest of the day,” he says.

Every morning he consumes a wide variety of newspapers: “I’ll read every part — domestic, foreign, business, sports, even the parts that might bore me a little — because feeding my brain is an absolutely essential part of my day,” he says. “And by reading a diverse selection of papers, I get different viewpoints and different perspectives on all the things that affect me, my life, and my business.”

He also takes cares of his dogs, partakes in some light exercise, and eats a healthy breakfast. Each aspect of his routine is important in its own way. “And they all have one thing in common — they make me more productive so that, in turn, I can do more for anyone I come in contact with throughout the day,” he says.

Read more about Fran Tarkenton’s routine here.

Cal Newport, author of ‘So Good They Can’t Ignore You,’ heads outside right when he wakes up.

Cal Newport, author of 'So Good They Can't Ignore You,' heads outside right when he wakes up.

Cal Newport

Cal Newport.

After waking up, Newport stops only for a glass of water before heading outside with his dog.

During their walk, he’ll listen to audiobooks and do pull-ups at a local playground.

“This time of year, it’s dark when the walk starts, but I don’t mind the solitude,” he says. “For me, interesting thoughts have a tendency to emerge when the rest of the world is quiet.”

When he arrives home, he employs a hack that allows him to stay on top of non-work productivity: He’ll dedicate 20-30 minutes to household tasks, like paying bills or researching a contractor for a project.

“This simple morning habit allows me to stay (reasonably) on top of these obligations while expending a minimum of energy in making decisions about what to work on and when,” he says.

Read more about Cal Newport’s morning routine here.

Cheryl Bachelder, CEO of Popeyes, created a morning routine that makes her a better leader all day.

Cheryl Bachelder, CEO of Popeyes, created a morning routine that makes her a better leader all day.

Courtesy of Cheryl Bachelder

Cheryl Bachelder.

Bachelder is a self-professed night owl, so she has a designed a morning routine that gets her “in the right frame of mind for the day.”

She starts her day with music, a tradition she has continued from childhood, which gives her purpose and reminds her of her family.

Bachelder also spends time reading in the morning, as well as writing on her blog.

“To have the energy to lead, we need to be restored and prepared before we get to the workplace,” she says. “When I honor these routines, it makes a big difference in the day.”

Read more about Cheryl Bachelder’s morning routine here.

Nir Eyal, habit-change expert, has a morning routine that starts the night before.

Nir Eyal, habit-change expert, has a morning routine that starts the night before.

Nir Eyal

Nir Eyal.

Nir Eyal, author of “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products,” says that following a morning routine helps him keep on top of what’s important.

“I’ve learned through personal experimentation that sticking to a morning routine improves the work I do and the life I live,” he says.

Eyal starts his morning the previous night: A timer shuts off his internet connection at 10 p.m., and he charges his phone outside of his bedroom.

This gives him more time to spend with his wife, and ensures that he gets to bed at a reasonable hour.

Read more about Nir Eyal’s morning routine here.

 

Businessinsider.com | April 12, 2015 | 

http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-people-share-morning-routines-2015-4?op=1#ixzz3X6bH5g00