I'm constantly impressed by executives who stay cool and collected. Their offices are clean, and they always seem to have time when you need it. My boss, Sharon Leite, is one of the hardest-working CEOs in the business. In addition to running The Vitamin Shoppe, Sharon sits on multiple boards, speaks at conferences, and is involved in charity work. The other day, I sent Sharon a note on Microsoft Teams: “Do you have a minute?” Her response: “Of course!” Of course? For all I know, Denise, her executive assistant, had to move two meetings and stop a plane from taking off to make room for my conversation. But Sharon wouldn't let me know that. She didn't ask what I wanted to talk about. It could have been a major emergency, or I could have been asking her for a cookie recipe. Whatever I needed to talk about, she made the time. If Sharon can find the time for her people, then so can I, and so can you.
Why might you be too busy? Let's diagnose it:
Delegation is a critical executive skill. If you're frazzled, you'll appear to be over your head, and your job will be in jeopardy. One simple way to delegate is to hold a staff meeting and go through your to-do list one line at a time. Ask your team members to volunteer for any items they feel they can tackle. Keep track of the assignments in Microsoft Planner or any other basic task tool, and review progress each week. By delegating, you're giving your team members valuable experience. By delegating, you're providing new opportunities. By delegating, you'll be available the next time a team member says, “Do you have a minute?”
During meetings, especially one-on-ones, be fully present. If you find yourself multi-tasking, stop. Now that we're all on video, keep your camera on. Not just so others can see you—so you can see yourself. Keeping your camera on should help keep you honest. It is harder to multitask when others are watching. Multitasking is ineffective and impolite.
Before we were an item, my fiancée and I worked together on the project described in Chapter 20, “The Power of Experts.” She gave me valuable advice: “Slow your roll.” I thought she was describing my driving leadership style, but she corrected me: “No, literally, slow your roll.” She observed me at the office, rushing hurriedly from meeting to meeting. I would put my head down, lean forward, and move as quickly as I could without breaking into a run. Her advice was to slow down and act like an executive, not an overly caffeinated crazy man sprinting from meeting to meeting.
In football, players perform elaborate celebrations when they score a touchdown. Some spike the ball, others jump into the stands, and most have a signature dance of some kind. Not Barry Sanders. He would simply hand the ball to the referee. As legendary football coach Vince Lombardy said, “Act like you've been there before.” Scoring 109 touchdowns in his NFL career, running back Barry Sanders was a cool customer.
When you get invited to the board room, be a cool customer and act like you've been there before.
In the next chapter, we’ll discuss the importance of health and wellness for executives.