Learn To Think Like A Top Level Executive

You might not be an executive (yet), but that doesn't mean that you can't learn a thing or two from the boss. Once you learn to think like a top-level executive, you'll soon find that there will be no holding you back.

Here are some of the more valuable executive insights. And remember; even if you aren't the corporate type, they can still help you -- that's why we've provided examples that every guy faces.

1- See the big picture
Don't get stuck in your daily grind. If every day seems like it's the same, you need to remedy that. Remind yourself what you're working for. Try setting goals for yourself (and maybe rewarding yourself when you reach them). Try taking on different responsibilities at work to break up the monotony.

For example, if you work out several times a week, your regular routine might turn into a boring grind. But seeing the final positive results and giving yourself a day off now and then can alleviate the drudgery of it. The point is that work serves the big picture, not the other way around.

2- Set priorities
Try to have two to three long-term priorities on your plate at all times. You can't take care of them all at once, but if you give each one a little time every day, the payoff (when you finish) will be huge. Remember, an employee manual isn't written in a day, but one section at a time. In your personal life, a long-term priority could be your mortgage. By chopping away at it bit by bit, you'll eventually pay it off.

3- Think outside the box
As clich as it may sound, take some time (even a few hours) every week to think creatively and try to generate strategies that will ensure success for your business. No, you probably won't revolutionize your accounting methods, but you may create a new marketing scheme during your "outside the box" time. Creativity is a virtue at work and at home.

Your lady may appreciate all you do for her in the bedroom on a regular basis, but once in a while, it's good to experiment and try something you never thought of before. With a little creativity, you might open up a whole new world.

4- Take responsibility
Responsibility doesn't just mean power, it means owning both good and bad decisions equally. A good leader is a man who can deal with mistakes rather than pass the buck. If you're the boss and the company loses a project, it's your loss, not that of someone below you.

Being responsible is as critical at work as it is in your everyday life. Suppose you get into a jam by breaking your friend's DVD player. Yes, you can run and hide, or you can man up and tell him you owe him a new one. Do the latter and you'll command respect from your friends.

5- Delegate wisely
Since you can't do everything yourself, learn to trust your employees with certain tasks and projects. If the guys down the hall know how to prepare the company's financials, let them take a crack at it while you work on something else.

Play on everyone's strengths. Maximize the talent within your company by assigning tasks based on the strengths of your employees. If you have a guy who is good with people but lousy at paperwork, don't let him spend another minute in the office; get him in front of clients. Some of your delegation decisions might not make you popular, but their long-term effects will be positive for the company.

Delegating tasks is like having an accountant do your taxes. You could spend a month getting it done, or you could hire an expert and let him do his job while you play golf.

6- Embody your function
Signaling your abilities is just as important as having those abilities. If you're a professional, you're expected to wear a suit and tie. While your dress won't make you do your job any better, it will instill confidence in you and those around you. The same goes for public speaking skills: if you stumble through sentences, people won't listen to you.

If you don't think that's true, try dressing like a slob and mumbling when you go out with the guys -- if they don't leave you behind, you surely won't get a word in that night.

7- Tackle the grunt work
The worker bee does his work -- no more, no less. The guy who's going to the top acts as if he's already there. That means doing the grunt work with the same pride that the owner of the company would have. So when it's late and your secretary should be the one sending out the letter to the client, but that task has fallen to you, don't look at it as if it's a menial assignment. It matters, so make it count.

Guys who own homes face this lesson on a daily basis. You're the king of the castle, and yet you're the one who fixes leaky faucets and cleans the gutters. That work may not be fun, but you do it with a sense of pride because you own your home.

8- Learn the job above you
Even Donald Trump has a boss -- he answers to his board of directors. What makes him a success is that he knows how they do their jobs. At work, you should learn as much of your boss' job as possible, because he won't always be there and you can't always say: "That's not my department." Plus, knowing how to do the job above you will prove to everyone that you're the best candidate to one day fill the post.

Away from work, it's just as important to cross-train. Your wife might do the cooking, but if she goes away for a week, you'll want to know how to make more than cereal.

9- Celebrate accomplishments
Not every exec does this, but they ought to. Success is rare in this world, and a good leader shares that success with his troops and rewards them, knowing that a taste of the good stuff will give them incentive to work harder. If you get a big promotion, take your coworkers out and buy them a few rounds, especially if they had your back while you worked your way up.

As for your home life, you probably don't need an excuse to celebrate, but you should always remember to take time out and let your friends and family know how much you appreciate them.

act the part

It's easy to look at where you are, compare it to where you want to be, and get discouraged. In a word: don't. Guys who make it to the top don't just have a plan, they focus on building the tools that they need to make that plan work. Then they go to work, using those tools on a daily basis and never letting the grind get them down, because they know that a day spent sulking is a day wasted.

This top-level kind of tenacity can apply to any sort of goal, from becoming the boss to getting the woman to affording the house.

Resources:
www.smallbusinessadvocate.com
www.entrepreneur.com