Michael Nichols | Leadership Made Simple

Leadership Made Simple

business plans

Strategic Planning and Why Flying by the Seat of the Pants Won’t Cut It

“I’m glad someone around here thinks it’s OK to fly by the seat of your pants rather than planning everything out!”

…Words uttered by one of my esteemed (I use the term loosely) colleagues moments before he poked his head in my office door sporting a big, cheesy grin.

To be fair, we are in the middle of intense strategic planning within our organization. And since my role is responsible for leading the planning  process, I am privileged to endure occasional sarcasm.

Don’t get me wrong – I get where he’s coming from.

I mean, is there really ANYONE who feels genuine excitement (I’m talking – goosebumps, hair standing on end – excitement) at the mention of the word planning? Not many.

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4 Tips for Managing Your Calendar More Effectively

One of the top 4 questions that business leaders ask is, how can I increase efficiency and effectiveness? They ask this because time is limited and, consequently, has great value.

This post is part of the series – Get Your Life Back!
Take Control of Your Schedule
4 Tips for Managing Your Calendar More Effectively
Plan Your Year with Your Annual Plan
Create Your Best Week
You Can Keep Up With Your Email
The Secret for Managing Email More Efficiently

Those who maximize their influence and effectiveness, do so because they have a very intentional plan for life and a bold, compelling vision for their work.

If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to read my previous post in which I provide 4 ways to take control of your schedule once and for all. It will provide context for this post.

In this post I will provide 4 tips for managing your calendar more effectively. These are things which dramatically improved how I spend my time at work, at home, and my leisure time. I’ve picked these up from a number of organizational leaders and compiled them into a list that works for me.

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Take Control of Your Schedule

My weeks are far from typical. But I love the diversity, fast pace, and new opportunities in my work.

I have several roles that demand my attention: husband, father, team leader, colleague, board member, ministry leader, friend, and others.

This post is part of the series – Get Your Life Back!
Take Control of Your Schedule
4 Tips for Managing Your Calendar More Effectively
Plan Your Year with Your Annual Plan
Create Your Best Week
You Can Keep Up With Your Email
The Secret for Managing Email More Efficiently

If you’re like me, your days are packed back-to-back with meetings, conference calls, planning, projects, and more!

But what if you could take control of your schedule once and for all?

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When Leaders Need Help

No matter who you are or how successful you’ve been, you’ve most likely discovered that you can’t do everything on your own. We know you’re good! – but you “occasionally” benefit from the assistance of others. Even leaders need help!

In fact, when you think you don’t need help, you are telling others that they don’t matter to you. Do you really believe that?

The truth is – all of us together are smarter than any one of us. And all of us together are smarter than all of us apart.

You get that – and so do I. Which is why we occasionally seek feedback or advice from a colleague, a mentor, a coach, or a friend. And we’re better for it!

BONUS: I’ve created a NEW Guide that will walk you step-by-step through writing your own Personal Life Plan. You can find out how to get a copy of this life-changing tool at the end of this post.

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Creating Your Business Vision

Early in my career, I experienced a number of incredibly difficult challenges in a relatively short period of time. I know you’ve been there too.

Although my team was experiencing record-setting achievements, relationships were strained and my influence was dwindling. I couldn’t make sense of it. And I didn’t understand why my colleagues resented my passion for my work, my aggressive goals, and the long hours I put in.

I loved my work and I loved the outcomes. I loved my team and how they were growing. But it never occurred to me that my passion, energy, and achievements would intimidate those around me. After all, I was laser-focused on improving the organization we were all part of.

Their fear morphed into resentment. I began pushing harder, defending the vision and strategy, and reacting to challenges. As you might imagine, none of this improved the situation. In fact, it made matters worse.Read More