Thread by @arrowleaders

I turn 50 this Friday and my colleague Leah Kearney asked me to write a list of 50 things that might be helpful to other leaders. So here are #50leadershiphacks. They're mostly practical and not deeply spiritual. Hopefully you find at least one useful.

1.Know when you work best and protect that time. #50leadershiphacks

2.Limit your workload the optimum number of projects you can complete to a high standard. #50leadershiphacks

3.Think about how people are hearing you and not just what you want to say. #50leadershiphacks

4.Know when you’ve let your ego get better of you and adjust quickly #50leadershiphacks

5.Set aside a tech-free half day every month and go for a walk (You may also fast). #50leadershiphacks

6.Exercise with friends to increase accountability. #50leadershiphacks

7.Write an integrated (personal) vision statement and review it regularly and let it impact your decision-making. #50leadershiphacks

8.Do a weekly review of all your commitments:
•One week back
•Four weeks forward
•Evaluate all projects
•Reschedule tasks
#50leadershiphacks

9.Listen way more than you think you need to and get good at saying, “tell me more”. #50leadershiphacks

10.Acknowledge mistakes and fix them, don’t double down just to appear strong and decisive. #50leadershiphacks

11.Empty your inbox regularly (Preferably every day but at the very least on Friday afternoon) and reply to emails within 32 hours. #50leadershiphacks

12.Use the TripIt app (or similar) to manage travel bookings and synchronise with your calendar. #50leadershiphacks

13.Be as paperless as possible and scan important documents (I use the Dropbox app). #50leadershiphacks

14.Have a shared Dropbox folder for all your family members including your parents and siblings. #50leadershiphacks

15.Used shared calendars with family members. #50leadershiphacks

16.Have a well-stocked tech bag, adapters, chargers, leads etc. #50leadershiphacks

17.Have a well-ordered contact list (NB Yes, it’s worth the effort to insert people’s first and last names in the correct fields). #50leadershiphacks

18.If you travel a lot, an annual lounge membership pays for itself ten times over. Make sure all traveling staff have it. #50leadershiphacks

19.Get the best (most suitable) laptop you can afford. #50leadershiphacks

20.Buy good luggage and whenever possible use only carry on. #50leadershiphacks

21.Exercise for thirty minutes at least three days a week. #50leadershiphacks

22.Always have an excellent book close by. #50leadershiphacks

23.Develop good habits, some of mine are:
•Go to church every week,
•Get up three hours before I start work each day,
•Make my bed as soon as I get up,
•Walk my dogs and pray every day,
•Eat fresh food. #50leadershiphacks

24.Challenge yourself by leading things out of your comfort zone (sporting clubs, school parent groups). #50leadershiphacks

25.Learn a language. #50leadershiphacks

26.Travel. #50leadershiphacks

27.Read excellent historical fiction for education, recreation, and also to develop empathy. #50leadershiphacks

28.Take really smart people/experts in their field out for lunch and just let them talk. #50leadershiphacks

29.Listen to your mentors. #50leadershiphacks

30.Meet regularly with coach and see a spiritual director from time to time. #50leadershiphacks

31.When planning a meeting, think about the room
•Remove excess chairs
•If possible have a right size table or no table at all
•If you need to be creative have pens, paper, flipcharts, a projector etc. #50leadershiphacks

32.Order feminine nouns first, “Women and men”, “Sisters and brothers” etc. #50leadershiphacks

33.Send your staff to life-giving professional development opportunities and be optimistic about their capacity. Expect them to get bored with their current job. #50leadershiphacks

34.Give constant feedback to staff and if somethings not working talk about it and wherever possible be generous to your staff; especially when they are performing well. #50leadershiphacks

35.Don’t fire someone until you’ve given them opportunities to learn and if you do fire someone offer out-service and write the best reference you possibly can. #50leadershiphacks

36.When meeting with someone try and ascertain their meeting style; e.g.
•chat first, maybe about interests, travel, or family,
•dive straight into action,
•clarify objectives, or
•have a joke. #50leadershiphacks

37.When planning an event, always ask, “What does finished look like?” For some people this is the after-party, for others the room will be tidy. #50leadershiphacks

38.Don’t be afraid to let others take the lead when their temperament matches the task better than yours. #50leadershiphacks

39.Balance with work and fun, especially when you travel. (e.g. Splurge on a massage but work hard in the lounge). #50leadershiphacks

40.Connect with your staff as people, not just roles. When you build community, you build loyalty. #50leadershiphacks

41.Be aware that you have a reputation! What do you want to be known for? And do those things well/consistently.” #50leadershiphacks

42.Limit your direct reports to the optimum number of people you can oversee to a high standard. #50leadershiphacks

43.Learn how to assess and manage risk. #50leadershiphacks

44.Learn how to lead change. #50leadershiphacks

45.Learn how to read a balance sheet and profit and loss statement. #50leadershiphacks

46.Learn how to prepare an agenda. #50leadershiphacks

47.Undertake some cultural intelligence training. #50leadershiphacks

48.If something is really working, don’t just repeat it, constantly refine it, and know that at some point it will become less effective and need to be shut down or replaced. #50leadershiphacks

49.Capitalise on good will. #50leadershiphacks

50.Always pay for the coffees. It’s like hypnotism, so when you ask people for help later on, they say yes without fully understanding why. #50leadershiphacks

So that's it for #50leadershiphacks. Stay tuned in 2029 for when I tweet #60leadershiphacks. That's assuming twitter exists and I still have opposable thumbs.