Smart Business Magazine, Jun 2012

4 Smart Business Houston June 2012 Click or scan to read more columns by Fred Koury SLOWING YOUR PACE Transformational leadership doesnt require breakneck speed If youre like most CEOs your day is spent rushing around from appointment to appointment both internal and off site meeting people solving problems and plotting strategy The hours fly by days blur into weeks and the years start to blend together into one nonstop race against time Take a moment to ask yourself if this lifestyle makes any sense What race are you hoping to win Whats the reward when you get to the finish line assuming you even know where the finish line is Will you wake up one day and realize that your children are grown and you missed out on moments that will never pass again because you couldnt spare the time John Ortberg author of The Life Youve Always Wanted says its important to ruthlessly eliminate the hurry from our lives If you are in a hurry there is little time to care about people We need to slow down even to the point of solitude In our world of hurry we have become obsessed with transactions instead of relationships We are always multitasking and cluttering up our lives While we are running our nonstop race the people who suffer the most are those around us Friends family colleagues and employees are often ignored as relationships are neglected in favor of the next big deal So whats the cure Ortberg suggests forcing yourself to slow down and put yourself in a position to wait For instance pick the longest line at the grocery store or take the long way to work Doing so will help train yourself to slow down and be patient It will also teach you to be less reactive and stressful in your leadership because youll learn to think things through in a calm manner Studies show that there is no relationship between hurry and productivity so rushing around in a constant frenzy isnt gaining you or anyone else at your organization anything You are the person who sets the pace in your company so if you slow down and make sure things are done right others will do the same Its up to you to transform your people and set expectations Working at a pace thats too fast typically results in things being overlooked things like employee recognition When you dont recognize and reward your employees their job satisfaction can decline and they may leave For every person who leaves you and your staff have to dedicate more time to finding a capable replacement resulting in an even faster pace as time is lost to recruiting and training It can quickly become a vicious cycle Technology has also contributed to our new unrealistic pace E mail and phone calls can find us anywhere anytime Theres virtually no such thing as being out of the office anymore because we are permanently plugged in even on vacation Isnt it time we all slowed down Look at all of the high profile CEOs who are in the news every day Are they enjoying their time as a leader a husband and a father Or are they running at such a frenetic pace that they are traveling through life alone Do you want to be like them Enjoy life by slowing your pace and being more productive both at work and at home Slowing down doesnt mean you arent getting things done it means you are doing things right and building relationships with people Not every transaction will turn a profit in business but you can bet that almost every relationship you have with people will pay off in the long run Isnt it time you started investing in those relationships by taking the time to slow down and build them FRED KOURY is president and CEO of Smart Business Network Inc Reach him with your comments at 800 988 4726 or fkoury@ sbnonline com From the CEO Fred Koury Smart Business Magazine is a management journal providing insight and advice for top decision makers Each edition includes feature articles on management strategies of CEOs of leading local companies In addition we partner with leading service providers to deliver expert advice to our 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