Effective leaders change the pace

I had a college professor who told us to “do everything 10% faster.”

This professor had lots of energy, and got lots done. And, the students who followed this advice seemed to work harder, have more energy, and be happier. Over the last 25 years this advice has proven invaluable; it works for me, too.

Not only does following this advice generate more productivity, more energy, and more happiness, it also provides a needed change of pace. When we change up our pace and alter our routine, we become more aware of our work and become more productive.

Sometimes life gets frantic. Dr. Lee’s advice dates from the middle of last century, and technology has caused us to accelerate our pace and our frequency of communication. So, while this idea of moving faster still makes sense, another bit of advice might be helpful when we stress:

Sometimes, do everything 10% more slowly. Changing the pace downward–downshifting– can help us reflect more, de-stress, become less frantic, breathe more deeply, and have more fun.

Effective leaders will change up their pace, because they know it helps their energy and productivity.

In fact, if you can’t decide which direction you ought to change the pace, just pick one randomly. Just the change will help you reflect on whether or not it was a good idea.

Changing up your pace will help you get more done have more energy and enjoy life more. Give it a shot.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *