“If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.” How often have we heard this, said this, and truly believed this? The fact is, it’s simply not true. Think back on the first quarter of 2023. How many times did you finish a work week thinking only of unaccomplished tasks that needed […]

In early 2002, I was the general manager of Nelson Books, one of Thomas Nelson Publishers’ fourteen divisions. In eighteen months, we had gone from number 14—dead last—to number one in terms of revenue growth and profit margin. I felt great. I was proud of myself and my team for the results we’d achieved. That […]

Many companies are struggling with the question of in-person vs. remote work. Here are the benefits of both, and a third way to consider.

Leaders should only be in the first and last 10% of any project. Here’s how to take back the middle 80%, so you can focus on high-leverage work.

Most leaders are born problem solvers. But if we’re not careful, we misdiagnose most problems. Here are 3 elements that help you solve any business issue.

There’s probably no hire more essential than a great executive assistant. Why? Here are 3 key tasks a world-class EA can do for you.

If you want truly great results as a leader, you have to become a master delegator. Here are 4 struggle points and how to turn them around.

Decision fatigue is a real thing. To maximize the return on daily decision-making, follow these 4 simple strategies.

Handing off email management to your EA frees you up for high-leverage work. Here are 2 tactics to make this a smooth and successful process.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by everything on your plate? It’s possible to delegate tasks, even when you don’t have a team. Here are 3 ways.

She said, “no,” and then I shared them with her. [smartads] I have always taken these for granted, but realized this was a brand new thought for Gail. … As a leader, whenever you delegate a task, you need to make it clear what level of authority you are conferring: Level 1: Do exactly what I have asked you to do.

Tell me you’ve had this experience. You assign a task but then forget about it. I sure have. As a leader, I am not a micromanager. That’s good news for my team. But I have to be intentional that delegation doesn’t drift into abdication. It’s not always disastrous when this happens. If we’ve hired well, […]

If you’re an entrepreneur at heart like me, it’s tempting to wear every hat in the business. This is especially true if you’re cursed with being halfway good at all those jobs. That’s not a compliment, by the way. I should emphasize the word cursed. Think of it this way: Would you intentionally hire someone […]

My wife, Gail, recently purchased a DVD set of The Jetsons. Remember that? The cartoon imagined what life would be like in the future: robots, flying cars, and other conveniences—like minimal work hours. But it hasn’t panned out like that, has it? Believe it or not, since the 1930s economists and others predicted a future […]

I’ve worked with several executive assistants over the years, and I have found it is a make-or-break relationship when it comes to my success. Think about it: None of us can do it all on our own. We need to bring others into our work to help us succeed in it. And the bigger the […]

Because it will take longer than two minutes to write the action down on your to-do list, organize it, get back up to speed later, and complete the task. … And it will keep your to-do lists much shorter. [smartads] Here are four ways to cut your to-do list in half: Understand the five basic decisions.

Do you have a long-term delegation strategy? This is the secret to moving more into “the zone” and getting out of those activities you don’t enjoy or don’t do well. Recently, I recorded two podcasts on the subject of delegation. The first dealt with the principles of delegation. The second suggested how you might delegate […]

When I talk to other leaders about hiring a virtual assistant, they are often skeptical. Here are my answers to the most common objections.

I have been using a virtual assistant now for nine months. It has been a great solution for me. Here’s how it has worked.

Whenever I write or speak on the topic of delegation (as I did yesterday), I always get a question from someone who says, “But what if you don’t have a staff? How can you delegate?” This question typically comes from staff people, technicians, stand-alone professionals, or start-up entrepreneurs. It’s a great question. I recommend four strategies.

Most of us don’t spend enough time thinking. We are so busy doing that we have, I fear, almost forgotten how to think. Yet it is our thinking, more than any other single activity, that influences our outcomes.