Introduction

Life is like a race, and everyone’s struggling to get to the top of the leaderboard, often overlooking the fact that before leading others, it is essential to first develop an understanding of who you are, what you can do and where you are going.

Stephen Covey’s renowned work, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People“, remains a timeless guide for leaders. This book has been a cornerstone for effective leadership for years, highlighting the traits that elevate individuals to remarkable success. The mindset and self-control needed for excellence in every facet of life can be attained by embracing 7 habits of highly effective people.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

1. Be Proactive

“Act rather than react” is the motto of a highly effective person. Proactivity signifies the inclination to seize initiative. Effective persons might occasionally exhibit qualities akin to that of a mentalist – a magician capable of reading minds- as they skillfully prevent potential issues through preemptive action.

Renowned psychiatrist Dr. Viktor Frankl, who introduced this concept to the broader collective, described a proactive individual as someone who takes responsibility for his or her life, rather than looking for causes in outside circumstances or other people.

2. Begin with the End in Mind

Imagine the chaos that would ensue should an architect initiate construction without first laying down the foundational blueprint. The landscape would likely be littered with structures collapsing like a deck of cards.

Setting their sight on the end goal is a habit that marks the making of an effective individual. Keeping their mind on a guiding goal allows them to see the bigger picture without losing sight of the here and now.

Successful people set out with a mission, vision and goals in mind and subsequently, they work backward to formulate strategies and choices that fit their mission and objectives.

3. Put First Things First

One of the habits of successful people is to be aware of their priorities. Are you familiar with the rocks and pebbles story? Well, here is a refresher:

This story highlights the importance of recognizing what truly matters and needs immediate action, as well as what can be postponed. This awareness allows you to operate at your peak effectiveness. By not getting sidetracked by tasks that appear urgent but might not be, you can concentrate on your real objectives and manage your time in a way that optimally supports your goal achievement. This also involves concentrating on your goals and entrusting the less significant tasks to others through delegation. 

4. Think Win-Win

Naturally, humans exhibit a self-centered temperament, often prioritizing their own needs. Nonetheless, highly effective people recognize that they cannot succeed alone and therefore cultivate a practice of considering solutions that yield advantages not only for themselves but also for all parties concerned. 

Appreciative of the role community plays in their goal achievement, these highly effective individuals believe in harmonizing situations through resolutions that foster mutually beneficial relationships.

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

“The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.”

An essential habit of the seven habits of highly effective people is listening.  Listening, and I mean actually listening, is a rare art. In conversations people tend to hear the other person but not really pay enough attention to the conversation to actually understand what is being said. 

Engaging fully and being present in a conversation can lead to comprehending the speaker’s perspective and preventing needless conflicts. This approach not only enhances efficiency but also contributes to peaceful conflict resolution.

6. Synergize

To synergize is to cooperate as a team to create solutions greater than the sum of individual efforts. Collaboration is transformative; it combines the diverse strengths, talents and perspectives to create outcomes that surpass any individual’s outcomes when working alone. Working in synergy gives rise to innovating problem-solving and trust building within the team. 

This habit of highly successful people becomes a catalyst for enhanced teamwork, higher levels of productivity, and the generation of groundbreaking solutions.

7. Sharpen the Saw

Abraham Lincoln once famously said,

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first 4 sharpening the axe.” 

Similar to how a dull axe struggles to perform its tasks effectively, an unrefreshed mind can’t reach its full potential. A vital practice of highly effective people is to keep their minds sharp. They allow themselves breaks to relax and recharge, giving their body and mind the chance to rejuvenate and avoid burnout.

True success demands setting aside time for self-care. This includes engaging in exercise, relaxation, learning, and personal growth, which contribute to one’s spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.

Conclusion

These 7 habits have the power to churn out effective individuals, team members and leaders. To take the desired effect these habits must become a part of your life and not a one-off event. Continued practice in the 7 habits philosophy can help you continually improve on these principles and achieve your greatest potential.

---

Meet Sam- the perfectionist, the overachiever, the guy who does it all! He seems to be the office highflier- the workaholic. Well, he is none of those- behind the prim and proper exterior is a guy who is constantly overworked, tightly wound up and irate. A guy who is so habitual of being a hustler that he is not comfortable delegating work and is probably burning out.

We all know a “Sam”, we have seen him, worked with him or even been him and sadly he is not a one-off case. Burnout at the workplace is commonplace today and despite the dangers it poses, burnout has been on a rise globally.

One of the best ways to combat workplace burnout is delegation.

Delegation is the process of assigning authority and responsibility to other people to enable distribution of workload and improve efficiency. 

Delegating tasks allows you to employ the expertise of other people, while also freeing up your own time and energy to concentrate on crucial responsibilities.

In American businesswoman Jessica Jackley’s words:

Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.

Should I delegate?

The answer to this question lies in the series of questions mentioned below:

Q. Is this task Delegable?

The very first question you need to ask yourself is – “Can I delegate this?”. 

Some tasks are easily delegable while others need to be done exclusively by you due to the nature of experience, expertise or level of confidentiality required in the execution of the task. 

The Eisenhower Box (or Eisenhower Matrix) a decision-making tool designed by Dwight Eisenhower which categorizes tasks into:

a. Urgent and important (tasks to be done immediately).

b. Important, but not urgent (tasks that can be scheduled for later).

c. Urgent, but not important (tasks that can be delegated to someone else).

d. Neither urgent nor important (tasks that can be eliminated).

can be helpful in identifying delegable tasks.

Once you have determined that the task is delegable you must look into the following questions:

a. Who can do this better?

You must be humble enough to admit that there are people who are better suited to perform a task and to achieve better results you must find and encourage such individuals.

b. Who can do this faster?

Time bound tasks which require lower levels of expertise can be delegated to persons who are quicker at doing the task at hand to enable you to clear your schedule for tasks that require your time and attention. 

c. Who can do this more economically?

Money is the life blood of the modern economy, and you must ensure that you do everything necessary to not only make but also save money. Delegation of activities that can be done at a cheaper cost by someone else is one way to save money. This is exactly why the concept of outsourcing of jobs has gained popularity over the years. 

Many a times the problem managers and leaders face are not whether or not to delegate but –

How to delegate?

Delegating effectively is an essential and criminally underrated skill. 

Here are 7 key considerations for effective delegation: 

1. Clear objective:

It is essential to establish the objective of delegating a job prior to assigning responsibilities. The objective could be:

a. reducing your workload and stress to allow you to focus on other critical tasks; 

b. utilizing the skills and capabilities of others to expedite the completion of a project;

c. tapping into the expertise of individuals who possess specialized knowledge in a particular area to ensure that the task is handled by the most qualified individuals. 

2. Setting clear targets: 

Providing a clear roadmap in the form of precise targets helps align the delegated tasks with their objectives and assists the person to whom the work is assigned to better plan their actions.

A good delegator, like a leader, not only understands the importance of setting targets but also facilitates adjustments to be made to them when necessary. Ultimately, setting clear targets promotes a shared understanding, effective communication, and successful completion of the delegated task.

3. Correct hiring:

Hiring the right individuals for specific tasks is crucial for effective delegation. By assigning tasks to individuals who possess the necessary capabilities or are likely to benefit from the experience, you can support their growth and skill building.

For instance, hiring an experienced senior software engineer to direct software development projects that require a higher level of expertise ensures that the task is in capable hands. Their knowledge and skills in the field contribute to efficient project management. 

On the other hand, delegating simpler tasks to less experienced employees allows them to become familiar with the organization’s processes while allowing more skilled individuals to focus on complex responsibilities.

By allocating work to individuals who show potential, you can nurture their growth and development. 

For instance, entrusting a person with leadership potential to lead a small project provides an opportunity for them to develop and showcase their leadership abilities. This experience builds their confidence, refines their skills, and prepares them for future leadership roles within the organization.

Overall, hiring the right individuals for specific tasks and aligning delegated responsibilities with employees’ capabilities and growth potential contributes to effective delegation and supports the professional development of the team.

4. Use delegation tools:

Management tools like Slack offer a variety of features that improve communication, task management and collaboration. Team members can easily communicate, share updates, seek clarification and ask questions. They also help delegators assign tasks, set deadlines and monitor progress.

Improved coordination, with more efficient and streamlined operations can be achieved by incorporating management tools into the delegation process. 

5. Mentoring:

Mentoring plays a crucial role in successful delegation as it involves teaching, training, and guiding your team members. As a delegator, it is essential to provide the necessary resources and tools to enable them to execute the tasks effectively. By investing time and effort into training your team, you empower them to become more efficient and capable, resulting in quicker task execution in the future.

Through mentoring, you equip your team with the knowledge and expertise needed to handle various tasks and facilitate skill development among them, allowing them to become independent decision-makers and reducing their reliance on constant supervision or management intervention. This not only increases their confidence but also fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility, enabling them to take initiative and make informed decisions on their own. 

6. Open door policy:

For successful delegation of work, it is important to foster a learning environment where questions are not only welcomed but also encouraged. 

By maintaining an open-door policy, you demonstrate that you are accessible and approachable which in turn creates an atmosphere where team members feel comfortable seeking guidance and clarification. It ensures that even though your team is capable of making independent decisions they do not hesitate in approaching you for advice as and when needed.

An open-door policy also enables you to stay informed about the progress and challenges your team members are facing. It allows you to provide timely support and address any roadblocks encountered during the delegated tasks. This proactive approach not only strengthens the delegation process but also enhances team collaboration and productivity.

7. Recognition and Feedback:

Taking feedback about the delegation process is essential for continuous improvement. By seeking feedback, organizations create a culture of open communication and collaboration. This empowers employees, making them feel valued and engaged in the delegation process which helps foster a sense of belonging. 

Additionally, recognizing and appreciating employees for their good work is crucial for motivation and building confidence. Creating a supportive and learning-oriented environment by providing guidance when mistakes occur helps employees learn and grow, encourages them to take initiative and strive for excellence. 

Delegation success story

Still not convinced that delegation is the way to go? 

Maybe an anecdote can change your mind. We are talking about former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi who was voted as one of the world’s 100 most powerful women.

Indra Nooyi recognized the changing consumer preferences towards healthier and more nutritious products and understood that in order to drive growth and stay competitive, PepsiCo needed to evolve beyond its traditional focus on sugary beverages and snacks.

She delegated authority to her team members to explore and develop new products aligned with changing consumer demands and empowered them to take risks, innovate and bring new ideas to the table. 

Under her leadership PepsiCo successfully introduced and acquired several healthier product lines like the juice brand Tropicana. Through delegation and empowering her team to drive innovation and expansion into healthier products, Nooyi helped PepsiCo adapt to changing market trends, grow its market share and position itself for long-term growth and sustainability in a competitive industry.

Indra Nooyi’s belief in delegating responsibilities while providing guidance and support to her team is what contributed to PepsiCo’s success.

Takeaway

Delegation is a powerful tool that can greatly enhance productivity; however, it continues to be one of the toughest tasks for most leaders. Effective delegation is a skill that is honed over time. 

By mastering the art of delegation, individuals can achieve better work-life balance, foster a culture of growth and development, and drive sustainable success in both personal and professional spheres.

Have something to say?

We look forward to learning about your views and experiences about delegation in the comment section below.

---

Introduction

Hello leaders. Heartfelt congratulations to all of you for turning things in favor of your business while sitting on a throne of thorns.

“Leaders” are not just business owners, but also every team leader, or manager leading people – without whom running a business is next to impossible.

The success of an organization is highly influenced by the caliber of its leadership. However, having a leadership title and having leadership caliber are not necessarily the same thing. The most effective leaders try to be an inspiration in their workplace and lead their team to achieve both personal and professional success.

Being inspirational is largely an action-oriented phenomenon. In this Review, we will discuss the essential qualities a leader needs to develop to be an inspirational aura around her/his teammates.

Inspire by Action

An inspiring leader goes beyond simply affirming to staff members their dedication to their responsibilities. The leader must exhibit this dedication and zeal in every meeting, speech, and especially while dealing with challenges.

Setting a good example is one of the most powerful methods to encourage others. People are always looking for role models and that might be you. You can inspire people by displaying kindness, dedication and upholding work ethics. 

Examples of inspirational leadership are all around. Malala Yousafzai is the youngest Nobel laureate and a leader who has inspired people through her bravery and commitment to education. She was shot by the Taliban for advocating for girls’ education in Pakistan, but she has continued to speak out and fight for the rights of girls and women around the world. What makes Malala a true inspirational leader is her brave hearted actions for a cause which almost killed her, but she has persevered.

In the business world Jack Ma is a great example. Founder of the Alibaba Group, Jack Ma has inspired people with his persistence and determination to succeed in business despite many setbacks and obstacles. He was rejected 30 times by companies he applied for, but he never gave up. Jack Ma’s life story serves as an inspiration for everyone giving people the faith of trying even after failures hit hard.

Let the Passion Fire Spread

There is something quite alluring about someone who is driven by their passions. A person fueled by passion drives on with vigor and zeal into uncharted territory. People that are passionate and driven to succeed serve as inspiring role models. Enthusiasm encourages productivity and aids in committing individuals to a common goal.

Author, speaker and leadership expert Simon Sinek has made some valuable contributions in this regard. He says that when leaders are truly passionate about their work, they are more willing to put in the effort and take risks necessary to achieve their goals. This enthusiasm can also be contagious, inspiring others to join in the mission and work towards a common purpose. Sinek also believes that passion can help leaders build stronger relationships with their team. When a leader is passionate about their work, they are more likely to connect with others who share their values and goals. This shared passion can help build trust and create a sense of community within the team.

Inspire through Communication

A leader’s ability to effectively communicate is crucial if they want to motivate their teams. Cutting corners with communication can result in hiccups that demand time-consuming repetitions. Further inefficient communication may result in wounded sentiments, unsuccessful projects, and rising irritation levels. Leaders that truly inspire their team understand the need of taking the appropriate amount of time with each communication to ensure that all are on board and moving along.

Inspirational leaders also communicate the mission and values of their organization. Leaders can motivate their teams to see the bigger picture and feel a part of a shared purpose by explaining the “why” behind what they do. 

Authenticity is important in communication because it fosters the team’s trust. Leaders who are sincere, truthful, and open with their team can encourage them to follow suit.

Be Trustworthy

Being trustworthy is a crucial element of inspirational leadership. When a leader is viewed as trustworthy, the team feels safe and secure, which encourages them to be at ease and confident in their skills. This trust empowers your team to take risks, be innovative, and work toward a common objective.

When leaders are trusted by their teammates, they can foster an environment of cooperation, teamwork, and a sense of belonging. Trustworthy leaders create a welcoming environment for the team by placing trust in their abilities and granting them autonomy. When your team feels safe taking chances and experimenting, it inspires them to be innovative and creative.

Keep the Good Work Going

Leadership is not easy. But a few changes (as explained above) from your end can improve the outcomes of your efforts by many folds.

Inspiring others to move along towards a common goal is the best way to lead your team forward.

So, leaders, that’s all from us.

We would love to hear about your experience and ideas in the comment section below.

---

“Begin with the end in mind!” 

This crisp thought by author and educator Stephen Covey conveys the importance of setting targets. Having targets is essential both in life and in business. Targets are the goals that a business aims to achieve. They act as parameters to judge the performance of a team or an individual at every level. They determine the short-falls in a businesses’ goal achievement and ways to overcome such short-falls. A business needs to set targets to better understand and measure its performance.

Every business leader is expected to set targets for their business, however, the question arises,

As a leader how do you set targets?

How to set better targets?

Targets give direction to business. They help create focus and make it easier for businesses to meet their end goals. 

To set better targets for yourself and others, you must keep the following in mind:

1. Set clear targets:

The more unambiguous a target, the more likely you are to achieve it. Vague and general targets are harder to achieve as it is tough to create an action plan for them. It is also a challenge to measure the results of such goals.

To “increase lead conversion rate” is not as impactful as a target of say, “to increase lead conversion rate by 10% in the next quarter”. 

2. Set achievable targets:

Achievement of end goals is impacted by multiple factors and a lot of these are beyond a business’ control. Under these circumstances the best way to set a target is setting simple achievable targets. A business must focus on targets that are actually in control of the person looking to achieve them.

For example: A direction by the management to the sales team demanding them to get “more leads” is not as effective as giving them clear instructions to follow-up with 10 old customers in one week to gauge their needs.  Clearly stated targets make the tasks more manageable while at the same time increasing the accountability of the sales team.

3. Set smaller targets:

The best way to set a target is to break down complex targets into simple understandable targets. This not only boosts morale of the team, but also increases the chances of getting better results. Sometimes even better than expected.

For example: Your company has an annual target of USD 300,000 and the per sale value of USD 30,000. This means you need to make 10 sales per annum to achieve your target. When setting targets for your Sales team of 3 people, you need to break down the target. You need to evaluate how many sales campaigns are needed to close 1 sale. Say you got 1 sale in 600 emails/LinkedIn mails or Google ad clicks. So, you need 600*10= 6,000 of these campaigns in a year. That works out to be 500 of these in one month and around 17 in one day. 
Now if you have 3 employees to handle sales, your sales associates now have a target of implementing 6 campaigns each in one day.

This target is clear, achievable and purely dependent on their performance. This will increase the satisfaction and sense of achievement of the team.

Takeaway

Author Dr. P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar has rightly said:

“To know your strength is to know your target and to know your weakness is to know your limit.”

Smart business leaders understand that a simple, yet profound method of getting better results at work is – “Setting better targets!”

So, start setting better targets for better productivity and a healthier work culture!

We would love to hear your take on the problem of target setting in businesses. What do you think works and doesn’t? Please share your views in the comment section below.

---