5 Common Habits of Effective Startup CEOs While there may be no typical CEO, there are common habits that effective CEOs share that can help all professionals better manage their day and get work done.
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CEOs have an overwhelming amount of work on their plates. They are always thinking of the "bigger picture" while staying on course with its vision. According to a study conducted by Harvard Business Review (HBR), on average CEOs work about 9.7 hours a day, totaling around 62.5 hours per week.
Those long hours make sense as CEOs manage products, cash flow and teams while keeping potential chaos at bay. The best CEOs have built habits to better help them manage their time, set expectations and communicate effectively. While there may be no typical workday or typical CEO, there are common habits that effective CEOs share that can help all professionals better manage their day and get work done.
1. Organize a schedule and follow through
A regular schedule or workday does not exist for CEOs, and often doesn't exist in anyone's daily life. Yet research shows maintaining a regular schedule can increase productivity, reduce stress and increase efficiency.
CEOs usually create daily, weekly and monthly schedules that they stick to no matter the circumstance. Sticking to short-term and long-term plans helps organize a CEO's work life to ensure all is complete, proficient and delivered on-time.
To create an organized schedule, set an hourly schedule to prevent distractions or random tasks from interrupting set plans. Consider blocking out time on your calendar as "do not disturb" to do deep work and put scheduled breaks into your calendar to give yourself time to reflect and relax.
Schedules can even be outside of the office as a regular sleep schedule and meal schedule can help you better focus and have more energy.
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2. Compartmentalize the different needs of the company
CEOs also have the habit of categorizing their company needs, breaking the entire organization into each department to address their needs one-by-one. The process may seem long, but it effectively gets the job done without a mountain-sized headache.
Influential startup CEOs successfully focus on specific business areas, setting aside time for discussions for product development, team building and financial outcomes. If a CEO prefers or wants a more straightforward method, some choose to compartmentalize company needs by day to not "put-off" needs being met or leaving it to happen all at one time. This compartmentalizing allows for CEOs to get tasks done without feeling overwhelmed about all the activities that need to be done.
Consider compartmentalizing in the office and your at home tasks. Set aside time to do different activities like clean, cook and shop so that you don't get stressed about all the various activities that need to occur. Also, when working in the office, it may help to compartmentalize your personal life from your work life so you can be the most efficient at both.
3. Do major work projects in the morning.
Mornings, when most feel bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, is the best time to work on major business projects, like big-picture items. Keep the afternoon for things like meetings, phone calls and filing.
Science has shown that cognitive abilities rise and fall during that day and so the best CEOs understand that there is a key time to do certain tasks. Hitting goals and finishing well-laid out plans are best to happen before lunchtime. The key is to maximize time for any vital business work during the morning hours.
To ensure this becomes a habit requires an assessment of calendars to see whether each activity falls into their routine duties or have-to-do categories. From there, CEOs can assess whether an activity serves an important purpose or is simply a company habit.
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4. Make time for a personal life.
Although startup CEOs may work like robots, they are not. They also need time for meeting personal needs, connecting with their families and life celebrations.
For many CEOs, the startup is essential, which is why so much time and energy goes into it. Yet, it is not what sits on the very top of their priority list. For most CEOs, it all comes down to spending time with family. Enjoying moments with the kids, significant other, parents and friends is vital in replenishing a worn-out CEO.
Many successful startup CEOs ensure "family time" is a part of their busy schedules by blocking off time for them daily. A study conducted by HBR showed that most CEOs have become very disciplined about spending time with their family during the hours that they are awake and not working.
Some ways you can make time for your personal life include turning off your phone during family time, utilizing the do not disturb feature to limit notifications and establishing boundaries. When feeling burnout or overwhelmed, every professional should take some time to take personal time and enjoy time spent with others or working on a hobby. Additionally, simply spending time in nature can reduce stress and inspire creativity.
5. Schedule time for rest and reflection
To run a healthy company requires time for rest and reflection. A habit CEOs choose is to set aside an hour each day or pick one day a week for alone time. Harvard Business Review reported that on average, most CEOs receive about 6.9 hours of sleep each night, and that they dedicate roughly 45 minutes a day to an exercise regimen.
During this time of rest and reflection, CEOs can reflect on the day or week, meditate, journal, exercise and decompress. Scheduling time for rest and reflection aids in relieving stress and improves productivity. It is how CEOs nurture their physical, emotional and mental well-being.
CEOs have big plates, and it is not always easy to delegate the work the entire company relies on to function. Yet, running on empty is not an option. Thus, have a leader be a "stand-by" person who is more than capable of stepping in for an hour or two.
Although specific traits are necessary to being a successful startup CEO, the habits they create are just as vital to the entire process. CEOs focus not only on growing the company, but personal and professional growth too. They make a point to keep one eye on the big picture while still looking at reaching short-term goals — all while leading their teams to success. To be a great CEO with a winning company involves designing a system that works best for the schedule, family and business needs.
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