BRINGING INNOVATION TO MARKET

The Daily Habits of 21 Highly Successful People

Being intentional about simple routines makes all the difference.

BY CHRISTINA DESMARAIS
@salubriousdish

IMAGE: Getty Images

The most successful people I know make navigating business and life look easy, often
because they have their crap together more than most people. They get up early, stay in
front of health issues and are smart about money. They know the value of a good night's
sleep, a restorative vacation and a well-written book. And they stick to certain routines
proven over time to work. Check out these quotes from 21 successful executives who
credit simple daily habits for helping them get ahead in business and life.

1. Do more than is expected of you.

"This should apply to every part of your life. By always doing more than is expected, you
will create a valuable personal brand of competency, excellence and reliability. Over-
delivering encourages ongoing next steps as people will always want to engage with
you. Simply anticipate people's needs and requests, and then take them to the next
level. If your boss asks you to think of a great gift for a client, don't only suggest one--
create a folder of several gifts with all the details. If your significant other asks you to
vacuum the bedroom, vacuum the whole house. Give every request--no matter the
investment it requires--the same level of attention because once you make over-
delivering a habit, you'll find yourself more motivated and more successful in every area
of your life." --Ric Militi, CEO of the technology think tank Crazy Raccoons, developers
of Zip - The Question Answer App, which has garnered 10 million engagements since its
launch six months ago.

2. Be the first one in the office.

"I love being the first person in the door in the morning. It gives me time to focus, draw
up my priorities for the day ahead, connect with key reports in different time zones, and
clear urgent emails. I feel ahead and on top of things if I get in early." --James Thornton,
managing director of Intrepid Travel, a global adventure travel company which offers
more than 1,000 trips in more than 100 countries.

3. Connect with family every day.

"Staying connected to my family allows me to maintain a sense of balance at all times. I
talk with my family daily at the same time no matter where I am in the world--7 a.m.
Eastern with my youngest son and my wife. I talk with my wife again in the evening and
text my other son and daughter throughout the day." --Bill Linehan, EVP and CMO of
RLHC, a hospitality company engaged in the franchising, management and ownership of
upscale, midscale and economy hotels under the Hotel RL, Red Lion Hotel, Red Lion Inn
& Suites, GuestHouse International and Settle Inn brands.

4. Meander through the building several times a day.

"Having face time and genuine conversation with the team is where I generate
inspiration. I walk the company floors multiple times a day to chat with the team and
learn about the company's activities. It helps keep me connected on every level of our
business." --Clayton Reid, president and CEO of MMGY Global, a global marketing firm
specializing in the travel, hospitality and entertainment industries.

5. Make time for family and health.

"When I started Rocketrip, I thought carefully about the things that are most important
to me and keep me at my best: focusing attention on my family and on my health. I
carve out time each day to spend with my wife and new baby, and I make sure to
exercise several days a week, even if that means getting up earlier than I'd like.
Whatever you need to keep yourself balanced, make sure you carve out time for it, even
at your busiest times." --Dan Ruch, CEO of Rocketrip, a company that helps companies
reduce travel expenses by incentivizing employees to save on their business trips.

6. Compliment others.
"Once or twice a day, I make it a point to really thank someone in a sincere and
meaningful way. Earlier I had a phone conversation with a representative and I told him
how impressed I was with the calm manner in which he spoke as well as the clarity of his
voice. He said in return how nice that was to hear. It felt great." --Evan Hackel, author of
the book Ingaging Leadership and CEO of Tortal Training which specializes in
developing interactive eLearning solutions.

7. Make someone laugh.

"Perhaps it is the stand-up comedian in me, but every day I look for the funny side of
something. Comedy, after all, is telling of the truth in a way people can hear it. If you
want to challenge the status quo, finding a way to laugh about the crazy way we
currently do things is a great place to start." --Dan Gregory, speaker, author of "Selfish,
Scared and Stupid" and co-founder of The Impossible Institute, an innovation think tank
that has worked with big brands including Coca-Cola and the United Nations.

8. Make Connections.
"I try to meet someone new every day. Whether it's a prospective client, a potential hire,
a professional contact, or someone new in our neighborhood, I try to make a new
connection and potential friend. It grows my personal and professional
NEXT
network while
expanding my knowledge and perspective." --Andrew Fischer, CEOARTICLE
and founder of
Choozle, a digital marketing platform which simplifies data and online advertising and
in 2015 tripled its team and grew revenues 650%.

9. Show up.
"There are some things you just can't phone in, and real-time direction in the execution
phase of a project leads the list. I'm not telling you to micro-manage. What I'm saying is
that your physical or verbal presence in the middle of the action lends strength to the
cause and brings focus to the direction. My business adaptation on Newton's first law in
physics is this: 'People and objects in motion tend to remain in motion and people and
objects at rest tend to remain at rest until acted upon by an outside force.' You, of
course, are that force. Sometimes you can actually have impact by showing up and
saying nothing. Sometimes, the silent power of your respected leadership presence will
tend to organize the effort and pick up the pace." --Bert Thornton, former president and
COO of Waffle House, Inc., and author of "Find an Old Gorilla."

10. Sort your company mail.

"I was advised by a client early in my career to spend a few minutes each day sorting
through incoming mail. When I saw him do this, I found it extremely strange that the
CEO of a large real estate brokerage firm was sorting postal deliveries, and now many of
my employees find this unusual about me. He said, 'I want to know what's coming into
our firm.' As outdated as it may seem, keeping a close eye on the incoming mail helps
keep me attuned to the inner workings of my office." --Sarah Berman, president of The
Berman Group, a corporate communications firm delivering business-to-business
marketing, public relations and special events services in New York City.

11. Keep reminders by your bedside.

"I always keep two things next to my bed: my cell phone and my workout shoes. As soon
as I get up, I check my phone to see if there are any important messages that I need to
reply back to. Since many of my remote teams work in different time zones, scanning
my emails keeps me in the loop of what I can expect for the day. I also keep running
shoes next to my bed to motivate me to start my morning workout, which helps me feel
great and stay focused all through the day." --Kishore Kumar, CEO of personal gadget
assistant app AllThingsMine.

12. Turn crises into opportunities.

"A crisis can actually be good for you. During times of crisis you can motivate yourself
and the people around you to make impactful, positive changes. This is exactly why the
things that don't kill you make you stronger. Crises are great times to get people on
board to make permanent changes in your organization." --Aytekin Tank, founder of
JotForm, an online form builder with 2 million users.

13. Focus on your "done" list as much as your "to-do" list.

"A few years ago I worked with an executive coach who had helped astronauts,
members of special forces, high altitude climbers deal with high levels of stress. One
trick she gave me was both very simple and very powerful: At the end of each day, make
a list of all the things you have actually done that day. Not just the ones that were on
your to do list but also all the ones you have done that you had not planned on doing.
And at the end of each week add these lists together. You will be impressed by the
amount of things you actually accomplish. The dopamine you will get out of it will
somewhat help you balance all the cortisol your stress is producing." --Emmanuel
Schalit, the CEO of password manager and secure digital wallet app Dashlane.

14. Map out your day.

"Start your day off by blocking out 30 minutes to game plan exactly what you need to
get accomplished, and how you're going to accomplish it. This has always helped me
begin every morning with a sense of calm and focus because we all know it won't stay
that way. Keeping perspective on what's important can help you end each day with a
positive sense of accomplishment." --Craig Howe, CEO of sports digital strategy and tech
venture firm, Rebel Ventures.

15. Don't just direct traffic--grow leaders.

"I operate under a single fundamental principle with everyone I work with: I will never
ask anyone to do something that I would not do myself. In most instances, with a little
guidance and some mentoring, almost every person will rise above your
expectations regardless of the task requested. Taking the time to coach, mentor, and
provide counsel to your people creates leaders for the future. For me, the best part of
being a leader is watching the people you work with grow to become something more,
as they prepare for the next big role in their career." --Daniel Farrer, CEO of Switchfly, a
global technology company that powers travel commerce.

16. Embrace change.

"Most C-level executives have a complete and utter fear of change. They are so fearful, in
fact, that they are frozen, unable to make the tough decisions needed to successfully
manage their companies. I start every day by focusing on the excitement and growth
that can result from change. My advice to other managers: don't allow yourself to be
paralyzed by nervousness and indecision. Embrace change!" --Tom Lounibos, co-
founder and CEO of SOASTA, a digital performance management platform that delivers
cloud-based, analytics-driven solutions for digital businesses.

17. Stop intimidating your prospects.

"Especially in technology, success depends on communicating consistently and
frequently with prospects and customers, a personal priority for me every day. This is
particularly vital when targeting traditional industries such as construction, agriculture
and education, where there is often resistance to the adoption of technical solutions
because users can find them intimidating. My solution to overcoming this 'intimidation
factor' is to focus on the many benefits technology can provide, not product features." --
Suri Suriyakumar, CEO of ARC Document Solutions, which provides technology and
services focused on document and information management for the architectural,
engineering and construction industry.

18. Create thinking time.

"I carve out 30 minutes at the start of the day to just think through what the day will
hold, and try to solve difficult issues. No pens or pencils or keyboards allowed. This
private thinking time lets me really focus, without distractions, and helps me get
mentally prepared for the day ahead." --Tanya Candia, CMO of NSFOCUS, a global
provider of network security and advanced analytics utilized by four of the world's top
five banks and major telecommunications companies.
19. Keep feedback constant and ongoing.
"Don't wait for the annual or bi-annual review cycle--provide feedback to team
members in real-time and as often as possible, and be open to feedback in real-time as
well. This will foster a collaborative sentiment within the company and help people see
that things are running smoothly and on-task. Additionally, employees are often more
productive and happy when they're being recognized for the good work they're doing." -
-Manish Sood, CEO and founder of data-driven applications company Reltio.

20. Always think strategically, even while operating tactically.

"Strategists must think about the operational implications of their recommendations,
and front-line managers should build off a strategy. Sure, there are separate skills
involved. But in this dynamic environment, where everything from market conditions to
platform technologies can turn on a dime, it's important for all executives to understand
both sides of this shrinking divide." --Eric Chiu, president and co-founder of cloud
security and control company HyTrust which saw revenues triple in 2015.

21. Speak to key employees every day.

"I make sure to speak with each key employee every day to find out what they're
working on, what issues have come up and if they're having any current struggles. By
keeping it from being rote, it is eye-opening, rewarding and helps eliminate problems
before they arise." --Craig Dunaway, president of Penn Station East Coast Subs, a
sandwich franchise with almost 300 locations.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
PUBLISHED ON: MAR 31, 2016

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