Executive Leadership Training Course

Chapter 7
“ON TIME” SUCCESS IN PUNCTUALITY

Executive leadership training experts agree that to become a highly successful leader you must become a reliable steward of your time, as well as being respectful of other people's time.

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It’s been said that success is the child of two very plain parents – Punctuality and Accuracy.

Promptness, as a habit, can take the drudgery out of an occupation. Putting things off usually means never doing them at all. Too many people only make the effort once it is imperative – and often times they are too late to bring any significant value.

For instance, there is no better time to respond to a letter or greeting card as right when it is first received. A blast of effort right away will earn you the reputation of a caring and efficient user of time. Having the self-discipline to address things thoughtfully and efficiently will earn you the trust and loyalty of others.

Doing a deed in a timely manner is not unlike planting a seed. If not done at just the right time it will quickly become out of season and any effort made after the fact will be time wasted.

“How do you accomplish so much?” asked a man of the late Sir Walter Raleigh. Raleigh replied, “When I have anything to do, I go and do it.”

The person that acts promptly, even if he makes the occasional mistake, will on the whole succeed. In contrast, the procrastinator with better judgment will more surely fail.

"On the great clock of time, there is but one word - NOW.”

“There is no moment like the present,” said Maria Edgeworth, “the man who will not execute his duties when they are fresh upon him can have no hopes to doing them well later.”

The word “tomorrow” makes a false promise. Tomorrow is a period of time that is nowhere to be found except perhaps on a fool’s calendar. NOW” is the promise of success. By making full use of NOW, you can catapult yourself past your competitors.

Marden states that “Tomorrow is the devil’s motto. All of history is strewn with its sorry victims, the wrecks of half-finished plans and unexecuted strategies. Tomorrow is the favorite refuge of sloth and incompetence.”

Executive leadership training experts remind us that the favorite phrases of the wealthy include: “Strike while the iron is hot!”; “Make hay while the sun shines.” and who can forget, “The early bird gets the worm.”

Open your eyes to a brighter future. Eyes that are wide open and searching will discover opportunities everywhere; open ears will never fail to detect the cries of those who seek your assistance; open hands will never want for noble work to do.

A noted writer states that a bed is a bundle of contradictions. We go to bed with reluctance, yet we rise with regret. We make up our minds every night to rise early, but each morning our bodies beg to stay late.

Peter the Great always rose before daylight. He believed strongly that “I am for making my life as long as possible, and therefore sleep as little as possible.”

"Many a wasted life dates its ruin from a lost five minutes. ‘Too Late’ can be read between the lines on the tombstone of many a man who has failed."

- O.S. Marden

Daniel Webster often answered twenty to thirty letters before breakfast.

George Washington always dined at four pm, but many times new members of Congress whom he invited to dine at the White House would be late and then mortified to find the President already eating. “My cook,” Washington would say, “never asks if the visitors have arrived, but if the hour has arrived.”

Once when Washington’s Secretary was late for an appointment, he begged the President’s pardon stating his watch was slow. "Washington sharply replied, “Then you must get a new watch, or I another Secretary.”

Executive leadership training teaches us that promptness is the mother of confidence. It is the best possible proof that our affairs are in order, and our timeliness gives others confidence in our abilities to represent them well.

Management of time is a key life coaching trait all leaders must develop to enhance their chance of long-term leadership success.

"When the right leader and the right timing come together, incredible things happen."

- John C. Maxwell

Executive Leadership Training Activities

Complete the following exercises...

Describe your habits on punctuality and timeliness. Describe your expectations of others. Are you demonstrating by your actions what you expect from others on your team?

How do you typically respond to people who do not respect your time? Are you genuinely pleased with your ability to manage your time? What system, if any, do you use to ensure you are never late to a meeting? If you don't have one, what system could you use?

Given what you know now from the above executive leadership training information on punctuality, do you recognize ways to improve in this area of your life? If yes, please explain. Identify what you are willing to do differently to ensure you are a better steward of time.

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