You're More Likely to Be Seen As Successful if You Practice These 8 Habits Every Day

There’s no perfect formula when it comes to success, but there are ways leaders can encourage growth through small steps every day. Growth is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort and dedication, but little steps soon add up to big results. 

Here are eight ways leaders can accelerate their growth each and every day — and show their coworkers, boss and network that they’re on their way to success.

1. Prioritize communication.

It’s no coincidence that successful business leaders are typically great communicators. You can’t achieve results and get the most out of your team if you’re not communicating effectively. Make sure your mission statement, core values and objectives are clearly communicated to your team so that everyone is working on the same page. 

The same can be said of expectations. What do you need from your employees to reach those goals and stay on the right track? Through communication, you can improve performance across the business and encourage growth. 

2. Streamline conversions.

As the adage goes, time is money — so the quickest way to boost growth and profits is to use tools and software that allow you to use your time more effectively. Leaders have their pick of countless digital tools and applications that they can implement now to streamline the buying journey and make it easier than ever to convert visitors into sales.  

From email marketing platforms that build engagement and customer loyalty to an all-in-one POS system that helps you keep an eye on inventory, process orders or keep track of valuable data, these tools make your day run more efficiently so you can achieve growth quicker.

3. Invest in yourself.

No leader has all the answers, whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been running businesses for years. There’s always the opportunity to learn more and build your skills. Set time aside to keep learning and picking up nuggets of wisdom from those who have gone before you, as well as staying on top of the latest industry trends. 

From reading books to attending conferences and listening to podcasts from expert speakers, there are various ways that leaders can maintain their knowledge and build their understanding of the industry to stay ahead of the curve and prepare for new challenges. 

4. Network.

Networking is essential in business, but the best way to network is to cultivate mutually-beneficial relationships. Treat networking as a way to give, not just to take, and to find ways to help others with their challenges. 

Successful leaders know the importance of lending a hand to others when they need it, because when you surround yourself with people that you respect, and who respect you, you’re guaranteed to learn valuable lessons and build your community in the process. That might be providing insights on social media, mentoring others or attending events where you can speak and hear from others too. It doesn’t have to be big — just checking in with someone new or leaving a comment each day can be helpful.

5. Recruit a smart team.

Experts suggest that you’re the sum of the people you spend the most time with, and when it comes to business, having a team of supportive, innovative individuals is guaranteed to help you grow and succeed faster.

Recruiting a smart team that not only excel at what they do but are curious and eager to learn more will improve your workplace environment and encourage you to become a more effective leader, as well as help your business to grow in the process through increased performance and productivity. 

6. Focus on customer experience.

Customer experience plays a critical role in growing and staying ahead of the competition, and successful leaders know that it’s not something you can drop the ball on. You need to maintain focus on your customers at all times and through each step of your business strategy. 

When you exceed your customers’ expectations, you’re more likely to develop loyalty from those individuals and boost your reputation. Aim to always go the extra mile, listen to feedback and act on the information you gain, and personalize experiences as much as possible to strengthen relationships. 

7. Develop adaptability.

To be a successful leader, you need to know how to innovate and adapt. There will always be challenges that arise that you hadn’t prepared for, but by practicing flexibility every day, you’ll learn to think on your feet and find solutions in unlikely places. 

Allowing yourself to adapt and change direction quickly will help you to test different approaches and build your knowledge, as well as reminding you that if you fail, you’ll be able to pick yourself back up and start again.

8. Make quicker decisions.

As a leader, you need to be adept at making decisions quickly. That might mean empowering teams to reach a strategic conclusion or making a decision themselves, but either way, leaders need to avoid procrastination if they’re to enjoy business success. 

Decision-making is critical to sustaining progress and as a leader, you need to avoid wasting time on anything that will halt momentum. Keep meetings short, use data to make smarter choices and stick to your strategy to keep things ticking along at a faster pace. 

Successful leaders are able to grow and scale up through innovation, utilizing tools and software to make better use of their time and remaining a student each and every day. Only through daily habits and continual learning can business leaders stay on top and build their reputation and industry knowledge. 

This article reflects the views of the author and not necessarily those of Fairygodboss.

Gemma Williams is an independent HR professional working remotely from as many coffee shops as she can find. Gemma has gained experience in several HR roles but now turns her focus towards growing her personal brand and connecting with leading experts in career development and employee engagement. Connect with her on Twitter: @GemmaWilliamsHR

What’s your no. 1 habit for success at work? Share your answer in the comments to help other Fairygodboss members!