The One Thing Every CEO/Business Owner Should Do Every Day

The one thing every CEO/Business Owner should do every day is to decide what they are NOT going to do! When we say “yes” to something, we are saying “no” to something else since there is only so much time in the day. By saying yes, we may have traded our time for the one thing we should’ve been spending our efforts on. Saying yes is easy. The skill to master is how to say no.

When Darren Hardy was Editor and Publisher of Success Magazine, he studied the differences between what he called “super achievers” and “over achievers.” Darren was constantly asked, “What do Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet and the like DO that makes them so successful, productive and wealthy?” He found the number one difference was not what the super achievers did that separated them from everyone else – it was what they didn’t do. His reply to those who asked: “What’s supremely interesting is what they DO has little to do with their extraordinary success. It has more to do with what they DON’T DO.”

So what should you as a CEO/Business Owner say no to everyday? First, start by identifying the few things only you can do that will drive your company forward. Decide how much time you need each day to do these things, then block that time on your calendar and DO them. Say no to anything that tries to distract you from doing the things that matter most.

Productivity is about getting the right stuff done. Getting the right stuff done takes discipline. There is no shortcut to discipline. The “super achievers” understand this. Are you willing to do what it takes?

I heard Darren Hardy speak at the Fortune Leadership Summit in 2011. He made such a profound mark on me that I still have the index card where I wrote, “Say NO more!” It was the number one takeaway from the entire conference, a two-day event filled with seven well-known thought leaders speaking on people, strategy, execution and cash. By the way, the next Growth Summit presented by Fortune is later this year in Dallas, TX on October 25th and 26th. I will be there and hope to see you, too.