Executives tell how they make it work
Compliments, daily goals, listening to teams and more
High achievers don’t get to the top by doing things the way everyone else does. One thing they typically have in common: habits that work for them and their team. Here’s what several successful executives say helps them get ahead in business and life.
Catch an employee doing something right
“Make sure to recognize them and thank them in front of their peers.”
— Ed Jankowski,
CEO of XpresSpa
Set goals in the morning
“Before breakfast, I often start my day by setting goals for myself and for the company, before sharing out a set of benchmarks with the executive team for daily inspiration and motivation.”
— Carl Wolf, CEO at Mama Mancini’s
Automate things that happen repeatedly
“If something recurs 80 percent or more, automate it. When I notice that I’m doing or ordering the same things over and over, I try to automate it . ... It allows me to focus on what’s more important, and it’s something that I ask my team to consider when looking at their to-do lists, as well.”
— Michael McDevitt,
CEO of Terra’s Kitchen
Take three minutes to re-boot
“When mid-afternoon hits and the day is at its most hectic, I find myself having a hard time concentrating. At that time I close my office door, take a breath and take three minutes to re-boot my brain with a music break . ... When the song is over, I take a long cleansing breath, open the door and tackle the rest of the day with renewed energy.”
— Monica Klausner, co-founder and CMO of Veestro
Spend time with the people you love
“It’s a simple statement for sure, but I strive to spend as much time as possible with my wife and 1-year-old son. It helps to reset from the madness of work life and bring needed balance day in and day out.”
— Todd Barrish, founder and president of Indicate Media
Manage the to-do list
“Create an annual, quarterly, weekly and daily to-do list and manage them all. What does not get done in a day gets done in a week. What does not get done in a week gets done in a quarter.”
— Rob Bernshteyn, CEO of Coupa
Create a fun culture
“Create a work environment, daily, where employees feel free and encouraged to openly express themselves without rigid confines so they can do better work and make good, impactful decisions. How can you create a fun culture? You can start by being passionate, aligning everyone on the company’s goals, encouraging team members and having an overall sense of fun in the workplace. It takes an engaged, motivated and committed workforce to develop a successful, game-changing product.” — Nick Candito, co-founder and CEO of Progressly
Empower your team
“The key is to building a successful business starts with a strong foundation comprised of competent team members who are empowered and can operate autonomously. Pull, don’t push. Micromanaging stunts productivity and can act as a cancer within an organization. Employee morale matters, everyone wants to know they are appreciated, and it’s not always about the money. Treat your employees well and they will treat the company well.”
— Jarrett Gorlin,
CEO of Medovex
Set daily targets
“Measure what’s difficult to measure and set targets. Oftentimes the strongest motivator for success is the simple presence of a scoreboard. Knowing where you’re excelling and where you’re falling behind is crucial to determine how to invest your time and effort. Some things are difficult to measure quantitatively, but those cases are usually where it’s most important to try because you can cut through a lot of ambiguity and save yourself time in the long run.”
— Andrew Blachman,
COO of Tophatter
Team up with a complementary partner
“I have found it is ideal to find a partner who compensates for shortcomings and allows you to capitalize upon your strengths.”
— Xu Zou, co-founder and CEO of ZingBox
Seek counsel from every level
“Ask others for their opinion on important items and listen to what they have to say. Engage with them and dig deeper on why they think the way they do. This gives you a chance to shed light on your own decision-making path. Too often, this may not make sense to people a few levels down from you due to not having the same information or priorities that you have. Making the time to ask people what they think about something or how to do it goes a long way toward building that bond between employees and employers that helps everyone get through the inevitable ups and downs of working together. Most companies do not operate as democracies, but voices need to be heard.”
— Greg Reber, CEO at AsTech
Find a sense of purpose and focus
“Oftentimes we get on a hamster wheel of running from one conversation or meeting to the next. The result is a lack of worklife balance and, more detrimentally, a lack of focus. Inevitably, this leads to meeting fatigue. To stop this in its tracks, ask yourself what your contribution is to this meeting or this conversation. Plan gaps between meetings. This practice limits fatigue and contributes to your sense of purpose and focus. Take time out to reset. Remember, busy and productive are not synonymous.”
— PK Agarwal, regional dean and CEO of Northeastern University-Silicon Valley
Practice non-reactive listening
“While I’d like to think of myself as someone who has always been very calm, that simply isn’t the case. There is a lot of joy in reacting spontaneously in meetings, but this may not serve your long-term goals well. Currently, I practice going to meetings with an open mind and spending more time listening to people’s points of view without quick reactions. Doing this has made me a far better leader.”
— Peter Arvai, co-founder and CEO of Prezi