A Secret of Successful CEOs

This idea was given to me by a visiting American speaker named Walt Sutton, during his workshop entitled, “The Secrets of Successful CEOs”. Among the many useful ideas, the one that most struck a chord for me was the idea that once a year business leaders should “escape” for a few days of solitude. However, what with running several businesses, getting married and starting a family, this excellent idea got forgotten along the way (a common occurrence, perhaps for many of us).

The idea is that every 12 months you should go off somewhere by yourself for 2 or 3 days for some personal reflection (the spouse/partner/children must be left behind!). Most of us have a few special places we’ve been to, often as children, that offer the ideal place to unwind and get back to nature – maybe in the mountains, national parks or by the sea.

There doesn’t have to be a particular agenda - the main thing is to clear your mind and refocus on the things that are most important in your life. It may be best to plan absolutely nothing for the first day – treat yourself to a nice lie-in and perhaps a leisurely walk. Over the remaining days you can do a personal SWOT analysis (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats), look at your likes and dislikes, work/life balance, goals, aspirations, dreams, etc.

An exercise you may like to try over a full day, after finding somewhere peaceful to sit/laze around, is the following:

• For the 1st two hours – Just let your mind wander aimlessly, you’ll be amazed where it takes you!

• For the 2nd two hours – Take your mind back to early childhood and slowly bring yourself back to the present, focusing on all the positive things and all that you’ve learnt and achieved.

• For the 3rd two hours – Think about the present, where are you today. What’s most important to you and what have you got to be thankful for? Reflect on your goals and decide to achieve them (expect positive outcomes).

Many of you may well be thinking your spouse or “significant other” may not be too appreciative of this concept. It may well help to lay some seeds before announcing you’re off next weekend! However, you may be surprised how supportive your partner is – they’ll definitely thank you in the long run, as you will yourself.

Why not commit to going somewhere in the next 60 days.