Five ways to become a more effective executive

Jason Hiner: Getting more done while using fewer resources is one of the greatest challenges in business life. But, there are always things you can do to be more effective in your work and with your time.

I'm Jason Hiner, and today on episode number 79 of CIO Sanity Savers, we'll look at some time-tested tips that leaders can use to raise their game.

No. 1: Go to other people's offices for meetings

If you have employees or colleagues who tend to ramble and stretch meetings longer than necessary, or who you just tend to get in long conversations with, schedule your meetings in their office, because it's a lot easier for you to leave their office than it is to get them out of yours.

No. 2: Get smart in the car

Join the U of A. That stands for University of Automobile, a term that Zig Ziglar came up with. Use the time you spend commuting to and from work, and traveling between meetings during the day, to listen to relevant audio books and podcasts. This can help you stay current on new trends in your industry as well as the latest wisdom on management and leadership.

No. 3: Act like a lady

Women, intuitively, tend to be less top-down in their management styles than men. Social scientists have observed lots of reasons for this. Whatever the reason behind it, senior executive women tend to be more egalitarian when looking for new ideas and approaches, and that style works because it makes more efficient use of the full brain-power of the organization.

No. 4: Talk to yourself

One smart way to use your smartphone, if it has a recording feature, is to leave yourself verbal notes. We all experience moments of brilliance, and when they occur, you want to make the most of them. Trying to recall the ideas afterward is often frustrating and can cost you a great idea. Another approach is to call the office and leave yourself a voicemail.

No. 5: Snooze

According to Pew Research, taking a mid-day nap of just 20 minutes can surprisingly your improve mood, alertness, and performance. So, the next time you find yourself reaching for a coffee or a Red Bull to boost your energy, try this first. At the very least, organize your life so that you get a good night's sleep every day. Most people underestimate the benefits of sleep, so if you get this right, it can be a game changer that makes you much more effective during the time you have.

To go deeper on this topic, see John McKee's article that this episode was based on. It's linked in the show notes.

I'm Jason Hiner, and this has been episode 79 of CIO Sanity Savers. For more, you can find my blog at hiner.techrepublic.com, and you can find me on Twitter at twitter.com/jasonhiner. Thanks for watching. See you next week.