George and Mary Lou were celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. A reporter, noting that so many marriages end in divorce, wondered what secret had enabled them to keep their relationship strong for fifty years. “What is your recipe,” the reporter asked George, “for a long, happy marriage?” George answered that just after his wedding, his new father-in-law pulled him aside and gave him a gift. It was a gold watch, one that George still wore all these years later. He drew up his sleeve to show the reporter. Imprinted on the face of the watch were the words George had read several times each day for the last five decades: “Say something nice to Mary Lou.”3

“Time management is a mark of self-discipline. It can be learned. You can control the calendar or the calendar can control you.” – Jeremy Kingsley

There are dozens of time management courses and books out there, many of which repeat the same lessons over and over – write down appointments and reminders, schedule in time for interruptions, and so on. But, it’s too easy to ignore those tips and let your calendar take control of your life. Your life needs to be about more than your appointment book, iCalendar, and daily reminders. You need to be disciplined enough to have power over your schedule. This isn’t an impossible task, and it can be accomplished with these five leadership tips:

Your ability to inspire your staff may depend on your skill at defining your team or company’s unique purpose. Everyone wants to make more money and deliver better quality and service. Do you know what purpose separates you from the rest of the pack? Employees will quickly sense when a leader is pretending to have a plan or is settling for the same goals everyone else makes. It’s your commitment to see beyond the routine and understand what’s truly needed that will impress and motivate your people.

As a leader, you probably already know that good communication is important when it comes to handling sensitive matters. But if you didn’t, here’s a quick primer on how to communicate clearly when you are hiring new employees, firing current ones, and working through those sticky situations that have a habit of popping up when you least expect them.

Throughout my life, I’ve had a number of great mentors. But one in particular who had a huge impact was the President of my alma mater. He really took me “under his wing” and helped me in several different ways. A good mentor is certainly someone with plenty of experience – not necessarily just in your field – but also with life in general. He or she provides an ear when you need one, and produces useful advice that helps you get and stay on the right leadership path.

“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.” – Mark Twain

You’ve probably heard the phrase “Readers are leaders.” If you’ve taken the time to do research on the Internet about the habits of leaders, you’ll see that most lists have at least one fact in common: reading. They make time for it in their busy schedules. Why do leaders feel this is so important?

People in leadership roles need to communicate their vision. Do you help everyone around you see, taste, and feel it? Make it irresistible. Use words and pictures. Use music. Move as you speak. Do not stop until each team member is inspired and filled with the desire to make the “dream” a reality.

One of the most popular questions I get involves employee appreciation. Many bosses believe that showing an employee how much they’re valued crosses some sort of line, making things too personal. And yes, there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed in the workplace, but I enjoy pointing out that this isn’t one of them. You can – and should – let your employees know that you appreciate the hard work that they do day in and day out.