5 Reasons Smart Leaders Make and Use Lists!

If, like many others, you prepare a shopping list, before going to the store, to ensure that you remember to get what you need and can finish your tasks as efficiently as possible. For a variety of reasons, smart leaders proceed in the same way, preparing to-do lists and using them as a guide to becoming the best leader possible. After more than four decades of involvement in nearly every aspect of leadership, from identifying and qualifying, to training, developing, and mentoring thousands of actual and/or potential leaders, to personally serving as a leader, I have repeatedly learned to appreciate the value of following this process! With that in mind, this article will attempt, briefly, to consider, examine, and review 5 reasons why the smartest (and often most effective) leaders prepare and use well-considered and carefully prepared lists. .

1. Covers all the basics/bases: I have learned, too often, that well-considered, relevant, time-tested basics are ignored and someone forgets to include, touch, all the meaningful foundations when preparing! An individual will only do so when/if he is ready, willing and/or able to proceed in the most meaningful way!

2. Consider options/alternatives: Often the sign of quality leadership is considering viable options and alternatives with an open mind, focused on the best way forward for the specific organization. Often the difference between successful and less than optimal results can be directly related to the thoroughness and relevance of these lists.

3. Organized: Although, as the saying goes, Both the rich man and the poor man each have 24 hours a day, the difference is often how they use their time, we often witness, the degree of one’s own organizational skills, difference, their degree of success, in a significant way!

4. Create strategy/strategic plan: The smartest way, go ahead, to secure one, avoid, spinning its wheels, and addresses the priorities, needs, goals, perceptions, vision, and mission of a particular group, is to carefully and thoroughly leverage true, comprehensive strategic planning to determine how best to serve and represent one’s own group, in the most effective as possible!

5. Perceive and conceive, create and implement action plans: True leaders must perceive and conceive what is needed, in the immediate term, in the short term, in the intermediate term and in the long term, from the beginning! This should guide someone, to create and correctly implement the most relevant sustainable action plan, to determine how to proceed.

A smart leader should prepare lists to make sure they are as effective as possible! Are you up for the task?