By Jonathan H. Westover, PhD
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Abstract: This article discusses how leaders can continuously improve their skills and effectiveness through habit hacking. It explores how reframing mindsets, building supportive systems, and committing to small daily optimizations can strengthen areas of weakness over time. Specifically, the article recommends practicing self-compassion and adopting a growth mindset. It also suggests implementing daily rituals like morning reflection and scheduled time for skill-building. Leaders are encouraged to do micro-optimizations like extending exercise routines slightly each day. Recognizing even small milestones is important for maintaining motivation. Real-world examples demonstrate how specific leaders hacked habits like prioritizing tasks, scheduling device-free breaks, and sharing mistakes to boost various outcomes like productivity, creativity, morale and innovation. The conclusion emphasizes that viewing routines through a growth lens and hacking habits through small tweaks can significantly enhance leadership abilities and fulfillment as part of an ongoing development process.
Leadership requires continuous learning and improvement. With every challenge and success, leaders have an opportunity to enhance their skills, expand their mindsets, and optimize their behaviors. However, positive growth and change do not happen passively - they require intention and effort. Leaders must be deliberate about "hacking" their habits to strengthen areas of weakness and elevate their leadership to the next level.
Today we will explore how leaders can hack their habits through reframing routine practices, establishing supportive systems, and committing to small, daily optimizations. With diligence over time, these hacks can significantly impact leadership effectiveness and quality of life.
Mindset Hacks
Reframe Perspectives for Progress
Research shows reframing mindsets is key to facilitating meaningful habit change (Duhigg, 2014). Leaders must hack their thinking to see routines, setbacks, and development opportunities in a new light:
View challenges as learning lessons rather than failures. Remember every experience provides wisdom for the future.
Replace 'all-or-nothing' thinking with non-judgmental continuous improvement. Progress happens gradually through small steps.
Replace thoughts of overwhelm with focused priorities. Break large goals into manageable daily tasks.
Practice self-compassion during frustrations or slips. Mistakes are human; persistence is paramount for success.
Cultivate a Growth Mindset
To continually upgrade skills and expand capabilities, leaders must adopt a growth versus fixed mindset (Dweck, 2006). They should:
Seek and embrace feedback to identify blindspots and areas for strengthening.
Challenge comfort zones by taking on new types of responsibilities which foster versatility.
View setbacks as opportunities to build resilience through overcoming adversity.
These reframed perspectives help make habit change feel inspiring rather than burdensome for sustained motivation. A growth mindset provides the cognitive foundation for tackling new leadership routines and optimizations.
System Hacks
Build Daily rituals and Routines
To establish consistency, leaders must hack their environments by integrating supportive systems (Gallagher & Terrell, 2021). Effective daily routines include:
Morning pages for reflection and intention-setting before distractions arise.
Regular exercise to energize the mind and body for maximum performance.
Clearing technology notifications to focus deeply without digital disturbances.
Reviewing priorities and preparing for the day ahead with a virtual or paper task list.
These lightweight rituals provide structure for maximum productivity while minimizing decision fatigue.
Schedule Time for Growth
Leaders must proactively schedule time for self-improvement the way they do important meetings (Kim & Kishida, 2018). Suggested blocks include:
Reading periods for expanding knowledge on leadership principles and industry trends.
Reflection journaling to process experiences, connect patterns, and pinpoint next steps.
Skill-building sessions whether through online courses, conferences, or hands-on practice.
Mentoring coffees or calls to solicit advice from respected leaders outside the organization.
Protecting these focused growth sessions signals to oneself that leadership advancement deserves dedicated attention like core work responsibilities.
Behavioral Hacks
Implement Micro-optimizations
Making sweeping lifestyle overhauls sets leaders up for failure and frustration (Martin, 2007). Micro-optimizations produce sustainable progress through small, manageable tweaks like:
Exercising for just 10 extra minutes each day to build new fitness habits gradually.
No-phone zones during meals to fully engage present company and conversations.
Limiting unscheduled work time in evenings to recharge mentally for the next day.
Delegating one extra task weekly to build trust in direct reports' capabilities.
These microscopic improvements compound over the long-run to significantly enhance daily routines, relationships and well-being.
Celebrate Milestones
Positive reinforcement strengthens new habits' staying power (Neal et al., 2006). Leaders should recognize even tiny wins:
Verbally acknowledge personal progress to maintain motivation.
Treat oneself upon achieving agreed-upon targets whether more responsibility or education.
Share successes, learnings and 'wins' with colleagues to inspire continuous improvement culture.
Appreciating progress, however modest, fosters enthusiasm to keep hacking and optimizing routines.
Hacking Habits in Practice
The following examples demonstrate how specific leaders have hacked their habits to strengthen effectiveness:
A CEO noticed overwhelm hindering focus. She blocked morning hours solely for high-impact tasks, delegating low-priority "busy-work." Productivity soared with a simple prioritization system.
A director felt draining multi-tasking inhibited creativity. He scheduled ideation walks without devices one lunch per week. Refreshed thinking sparked two new department initiatives.
A VP modeled positive change by joining an exercise class. Others followed, boosting morale and bonding. Monthly "wellness wednesdays" strengthened culture beyond expectations.
A manager noticed perfectionism limited risk-taking. He shared rookie mistakes to give others permission to learn through failures. Innovation increased along with job satisfaction.
These real-world illustrations show how even modest optimizations to routine behaviors and mindsets can tangibly transform leadership abilities and overall organizational performance over the long-run.
Conclusion
Continually hacking and optimizing one's habits provides a competitive advantage for personal and professional success. Leaders who view routines, mindsets and environments through a growth lens find inspiration and opportunity where others see tedium or limitation. Small tweaks, celebrated over time, lead to meaningful evolution. With relentless focus on reframing perspectives, building support systems, and implementing micro-improvements, any leader can strengthen their effectiveness and fulfillment. Hacking habits deserves ongoing attention as part of a lifelong leadership development journey.
References
Duhigg, C. (2014). The power of habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. Random House.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
Gallagher, E. B., & Terrell, I. S. (2021). Leading for good: How to drive value with values. Harvard Business Review Press.
Kim, J., & Kishida, K. (2018). Benefits of scheduling leadership activities for personal and organizational learning. Administrative Science Quarterly, 63(1), 199-230. https://doi.org/10.1177/0001839217747694
Martin, G. (2007). The effectiveness of performance improvement strategies: Micro-optimizing versus macro-optimizing. Public Manager, 36(2), 15-19.
Neal, D. T., Wood, W., & Quinn, J. M. (2006). Habits—A repeat performance. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(4), 198-202. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2006.00435.x
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Hacking Habits for High-Performance Leadership. Human Capital Leadership Review, 12(4). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.12.4.3
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