The Five Styles Leaders may use to Prioritize Their Work

The Five Styles Leaders may use to Prioritize Their Work

Khai Minthang

Beaumont, TX

Introduction: Without the limitation of time, there might be no need to prioritize. But time limits you and forces you to make choices. The more time you spend on the wrong thing, the less time you have to invest in what’s right – and the longer it takes to succeed. Being successful is not about how hard you work; it is about how smart you work. Generally speaking, there are five ways that people decide how to spend their time.

Urgent – Loud Things First: You have no doubt heard the saying: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. That shouldn’t always be the case in leadership. Though it’s tempting – especially if you happen to be a people pleaser – you have to learn to discern which wheels really need grease, which ones can be greased by others, and which ones will squeak no matter what you do.

Unpleasant – Hard Things First: You need to be able to check your motives. If you have a strong work ethic, you may naturally want to get the harder things done first. But don’t just start in on the hard stuff before determining the value of your actions. If doing something easier is a better use of your time, then do that before you tackle a difficult task.

Unfinished – Last Things First: If you are like most leaders, you work on a day-to-day schedule. And many times your to-do list is left partially undone at the end of the day. Before you spend time completing an unfinished task from the day before, evaluate it in comparison to the other things you need to accomplish. If finishing the task is still not a top priority, place it at the bottom of your list again, and work on it after you finish more important items.

Unfulfilling – Dull Things First: Of the five styles, this one is probably the most common. If you subscribe to this notion, your tendency is to do the dull, mindless things first, but these things are rarely the most important.

Ultimate – First Things First: Do you naturally spend time on the most important things first? Although it’s admirable to be ambitious and hardworking, it’s even more desirable to be smart working. It’s in forming the habit of prioritizing your time so that you are always doing what’s most important. When you are able to do that, it won’t be long before you begin to exceed your expectations as a leader.

Conclusion: Missionary Amy Carmichael wisely noted, “We will have all eternity to celebrate the victories, but only a few hours before sunset to win them.” When you learn to spend your time wisely on the things that bring your organization the most fulfillment and success, you often end up with some time to spare. Therefore, it is imperative to invest your time wisely, because time and tide wait for no man.