Top CEOs are always looking for ways to make their business ultra productive and profitable. But it’s not only their business that needs to produce, it’s also themselves.
After all, they are the head of the company! Top CEOs lead by example and below you will read some of the surprising things that they do every day, and maybe you will now too.
1. Wake up Before the Sun and Break a Sweat
This might not surprise you, but this fact is undeniable: The majority of successful people in the world such as CEOs, celebrities, authors, musicians, small business owners, just to name a few, all rise before the sun comes up. Why do they wake up so early? That’s the only free time they get, and they want to squeeze every ounce of productivity out of their day. What do they do? They workout, they meditate, they schedule and prepare for their day. Those precious moments before the sun comes up might be the only thing that keeps you sane in a world full of busyness and distractions. Top CEOs make their health a huge priority, and you should too! Richard Branson puts it best, “No matter where I am in the world, I try to routinely wake up at around 5am. By rising early, I’m able to do some exercise and spend time with my family, which puts me in a great mind frame before getting down to business.”
2. Use Your Commute Wisely by Listening to Audiobooks
Some CEOs use their commute time to schedule important calls. Which sounds great in theory, but what happens when you need to take notes on the call? You can’t. The call must be committed to memory. If you’ve got a great memory then making critical calls is an excellent way to spend your commute. If not, start listening to audiobooks. Many CEOs have found they enjoy their commute that much more when their brain is focused on learning something new every day, and they can take what they’ve learned and applied it to their day. Also, listening to audiobooks gives a fresh perspective on many different topics, and it may even lead to your next breakthrough. Danny Lacey, CEO at Stada Media Ltd has said, “During the last twelve months I’ve listened to hundreds of hours of audiobooks on my daily commute. It’s hours that have helped develop my skills as a business owner and expand my business knowledge base.”
3. Stay on Top of Your Industry
Spend one to two hours per day keeping up with news within your industry. Twitter is a great resource. Lots of CEOs have an active Twitter account and one that is not run by their social media team. Use a personal Twitter account, not your company branded one, to stay connected with other like-minded business people; while staying current on your industry and your competitors!
4. Only Touch It Once
Google’s very own Eric Schmidt, who is their Executive Chairman, has one secret he has held onto and has proven to be highly effective in increasing his productivity. He strives only to touch an email once. Eric responds to all emails that will take less than two minutes. This way, he doesn’t have to keep going back to these emails and wasting time. More than two minutes to respond? He waits until he has finished with the task at hand before moving on to the next.
5. Keep a Distraction List
It happens to all of us; we are intensely working on a project and BAM a brilliant idea floods our brain and takes over. For most, this can get us completely off track and lose anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours of productivity. To avoid losing this time, keep a simple list where you can jot down your ideas. Call it your “distraction list” and whenever you think of an idea or remember an unfinished task simply jot it down for later. Revisit this list when you are in between projects to prioritize your next task. It works for Stefano Merlo, CEO of Noisli.com. He keeps a pen and notepad within reach at all times and revisits it when he’s not so busy.
6. Say YES to Everything
You’re busy, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have time to get out there and meet new people. Networking is vital to building connections that can be life-changing (and business enhancing!). People like to know who they are working with, and by attending events, you are showing them who you are, that you are likable and intelligent and that they should do business with you. Remember, people do business with people they LIKE. How will they know they like you if they’ve never met you? Get out there and get some brand recognition!
Following these six simple tips will keep you on top of your industry while helping you stay productive, healthy and ready to take on your day! At Trapp Technology we believe in each employee being the CEO of their career. Ready to join the team? We’d love to chat! View our open opportunities here.