What Successful Executives Do Differently: Part III

In a Harvard Business Review video, leadership consultant, Ron Carucci, claims that 50-60% of executives fail in their first executive role. He studied successful executives to find what they did differently.

Carucci discovered four key factors. The third factor in our series is “Choice.”

Every day brings many choices. There are endless opportunities and possibilities for business directions from products to marketing. However, you must decide where to best invest your time, because, unlike creativity, time is not an endless resource.

There are many who believe their project is the best use of your time. But true success comes from saying “no” to the distractions and “yes” only to mission-critical opportunities.

Matthew 7:14 says, “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

There are a lot of good options when deciding on projects or enterprises to undergo. However, you have to focus on one or two to execute them successfully. An executive has to learn to make careful decisions, limiting unnecessary expenditures of time or energy.

Successful executives learn to say “No” frequently, so they have time for the more important choices.

Questions for Reflection

• How do you decide when to say no? Do you have a strategy? What are the most important goals of your business? How do the projects align with said goals?
• Do you compare any new opportunities to your mission or purpose to determine if there is a fit? What are the consequences if you say no to this new opportunity?
• How do you spend your time now? Are there tasks or items that cost more time than they are worth? How might you reorganize your schedule?