Sometimes it is the seemingly small things in life that make a big difference. One of those may be the decision to put a small amount of your income into a savings account. When you start, it doesn’t look too monumental. But if you start early and keep to your plan, the result can be surprising. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, for instance, that the greatest mathematical discovery of all time is…compound interest! Powerful. And Einstein knew the key was consistency.

What if you were to learn that, in a similar fashion, you could make some small investments in your leadership practices that will provide exponential return? Interested?

Leadership expert Steve Gutzler listed nine things that, if implemented consistently in the life of a leader, will make a lasting difference in both you and the organization you lead. Let’s look at them:

  1. Creating a morning routine that includes solitude, prayer, or meditation
  2. Setting three professional goals per day (That may be challenging.)
  3. Carving out time for 10 minutes of reading daily
  4. Showing up early and prepared
  5. Asking smart questions
  6. Keeping your workspace clutter-free (I’ve got work to do!)
  7. Forming one health habit monthly
  8. Staying focused on priorities
  9. Working hard and staying accountable

Let me highlight just three of these and add a bit. First, creating a morning routine is essential. And to the time of solitude, prayer, or meditation, I would add Bible reading.

I love number four…showing up early and prepared. In my many years in hosting the morning drivetime program on our Christian radio station, I tried to follow that idea. It meant I woke up at 3:15 a.m. most mornings. I read the local newspapers to see what was happening in our world and coupled that with some Bible reading for balance. Then it was off to the station to look through material that had already been prepared for that morning show. Just before we went on the air at 6:00 a.m., our team took time to pray. It was a routine…a habit…and it served us well.

The last principle Gutzler mentions is critical. Work hard and stay accountable. You may have a board over your organization to whom you stay accountable. That’s great. The ministries and companies who skip the accountability part eventually find themselves in trouble.

Of course, as Christ-followers and servants, we must be accountable to our Savior. Our daily prayer should include the confession of sin, seeking forgiveness. That may be confessing a bad attitude or ungodly spirit or response to a co-worker. It may go to the more serious areas of lust or infidelity. Whatever it is, we need to be accountable to the Lord.

The Apostle Paul reminded the Colossians of just that principle:

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24 NLT

If some of those principles from Steve Gutzler are not in your daily routine, try adding one or two each week. See what a difference it will make in your leadership…and in you.

God’s best…