I am blessed to be able to meet interesting people from all walks of life regularly because of the work I do. I
meet film – makers, poets, brilliant college students, wise teachers and visionary entrepreneurs. Each one
of these encounters has taught me something and shaped my perspective. I had dinner recently with one of
Asia’s top CEOs. Asked him the secret of his outrageous success. He smiled: “I make the time to think.”
Every morning, he spends at least 45 minutes with his eyes closed, deep in reflection. He’s not meditating.
He’s not praying. He’s thinking.
Sometimes he’s analyzing business challenges. Other times he’s thinking about new markets. Still
other times he’s being introspective on the meaning of his life and what he wants it to stand for. Often, he’s
simply dreaming up new ways to grow personally and professionally. Every once in a while, he’ll spend
between six and eight hours doing this. Sitting silently. Still, with his eyes closed. Thinking.
Making the time to think is a superb strategy for success at leadership and in life. Too many people
spend the best hours of their days solely engaged in doing, on the execution aspect of things. Recently a
client said to me: “Robin, sometimes I get so busy that I don’t even know what I’m so busy doing.” But what
if he’s busy with the wrong things? Few things are as disappointing as investing all your time, energy and
potential climbing a mountain only to find – once at the top – that you climbed the wrong one. Thinking and
reflection ensures that you’re on the right mountain. Peter Drucker, the management expert, said it so well:
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”
Peter Drucker, the management expert, said
it so well: “There is nothing so useless as doing
efficiently that which should not be done at all.”
Being thoughtful and strategic is step number one as you walk to greatness. Clarity precedes
success. By thinking more, you will have a better sense of your priorities and what you need to focus on.
Your actions will be more crisp and deliberate and intentional. You will make better decisions and wiser
choices. More time thinking will make you less reactive. You’ll become clearer on the best uses of your time
(which will, in turn, save you time). And your “think time” will provoke some amazing ideas and inspire
some big dreams. Lewis Carroll addressed this point beautifully in Alice in Wonderland when he wrote:
“There’s no use in trying,’ said Alice. ‘One can’t believe impossible things.’ ‘I daresay you haven’t
had much practice,’ said the Queen. ‘When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why
sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
10.
Leadership Begins on
the Extra Mile