It’s only natural that we should look to successful individuals for inspiration, especially when we’re nurturing our own business ambitions. And CEOs are some of the finest role models around for aspiring entrepreneurs. It goes without saying that the way they lead their lives can tell us a lot about them and their successes, and looking at some of their behaviours can teach us a lot about ourselves too.
By emulating the best habits of prominent business leaders from all industries, you can unlock your potential and foster professional creativity in your own life. Here, we take a look at three practices from top CEOs that are worth incorporating into your own life.
Maintain a good routine
The hectic demands of business leadership can take up much of your time, but maintaining a healthy routine and good sleep schedule will leave you much better prepared to make the most of each day.
Getting to sleep at a decent time is important, though the temptation may be there to work late into the evening, this habit is likely to leave you feeling exhausted and burnt out. On the other hand, a healthy sleep schedule will help you wake up earlier in the morning and make you more productive throughout the day, eliminating the need to burn the midnight oil.
Take good care of yourself in other ways too – eating a healthy, balanced diet will give you much more energy than sugary snacks and caffeinated drinks. Try and set aside some time for exercise too, whether that means an hour in the gym after work or some simple yoga before bed. Not only is it good for the body, but the mind too, as movement is an excellent stress reliever.
Enrich your mind
How often do you find yourself scrolling through your social media feeds briefly, only to look at the clock and realise you’ve lost an hour? It’s easily done!
Your brain needs distraction, and you don’t necessarily have to fight against it, but there are plenty more productive ways to spend your down-time.
If you find that your phone is the first thing you reach for in the morning, the last thing you use at night, or your default source of entertainment during your daily commute, consider how else you could fill these times. Digging in to a daily newspaper or an educative podcast is a great way to keep your mind occupied whilst taking in new ideas – studies suggest that the average CEO reads around 60 books every year, so this is another excellent habit to keep your mind active.
Network
Networking is crucial in business. It develops your people skills, enables you to perfect your personal pitch and can lead to countless golden opportunities.
Admittedly, networking has been limited this year due to the pandemic, but business hubs such as Arise Innovation are amongst the best platforms out there for entrepreneurs looking to connect with other professionals.
Hubs like these grant access to a wealth of expertise and provide much needed inspiration for your business, as well as introducing you to valuable connections which can lead to precious personal friendships as well as strong and productive working relationships.
