One of the things I have learned about leadership over the years is that we can become so focused on the big things that we overlook the little things. We want the big opportunity, the big breakthrough, the big promotion, or the big result. But many times, it is not the big things that determine our success. It is how well we handle the little things every single day.
The best leaders understand this. They do the ordinary things better and more consistently than everyone else. They pay attention to details. They stay committed to the fundamentals. They keep improving when nobody is watching. They understand that what looks small today can produce something significant tomorrow.
I like to say it this way: The little things separate the best from the rest.
Pay Attention to the Details
I recently watched an interview with a very successful businessman. He was asked what he believed was one of the keys to his success. There could have been a hundred different answers, but his answer was simple. He said, “Pay attention to the details.”
I thought, Wow. That is so important for leaders.
Walt Disney understood this principle. He said, “If we lose in the details, we lose.” Excellence is found in the details. Your customers notice the details. Your employees notice the details. Your family notices the details. The people you lead notice whether you follow through, whether you keep your word, whether you show up prepared, and whether you care enough to do something well.
Sometimes we are praying for God to give us something bigger while overlooking what He has already placed in our hands. Luke 16:10 says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” I believe how we manage the small things prepares us for greater opportunities.
So ask yourself, where have I become casual? What detail have I stopped paying attention to? What small area could I improve that would make a big difference over time?
Go Back to the Fundamentals
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden was known for focusing on fundamentals. At the beginning of the season, he would even teach his players how to properly put on their socks and shoes. Imagine being an elite college basketball player and your coach is teaching you how to put on your socks. Why would he do that? Because he understood that championships are built on fundamentals.
The same thing is true in leadership.
When things become difficult, go back to the fundamentals. When your organization is going through transition, go back to the fundamentals. When the economy changes, when your industry changes, when your team changes, or when you are facing challenges you did not expect, do not abandon the principles that helped you become successful.
What are the fundamentals of your success?
For me, I know I have to spend time with God. I have to meditate on the Word. I have to pray. I have to continue developing as a communicator. I have to keep working on vision because I lead people toward a vision. Those are some of my fundamentals, and after more than four decades of leadership, I still have to work on them.
Your fundamentals may include serving your customers well, communicating clearly with your team, managing your finances, developing relationships, staying organized, continuing your education, or spending time with God before you begin your workday. Whatever they are, identify them and protect them.
You do not graduate from the fundamentals. Legendary leaders master them.
Get a Little Better Every Day
I have a friend in the NBA, and one day I asked him about his goal for the coming year. This is someone who has already reached an elite level in his profession. His answer was simple. He told me, “I just want to get 1% better every day.”
I love that because that is a champion's mindset.
We often make growth too complicated. We think we need to completely transform ourselves overnight. Then, when we do not see dramatic results immediately, we become discouraged.
Instead of asking, “How can I completely change everything?” ask, “How can I get a little better today?”
Can you communicate 1% better? Can you listen 1% better? Can you manage your time 1% better? Can you become 1% better at serving your customers? Can you improve your leadership, your stewardship, your health, or your relationships just a little today?
Galatians 6:9 tells us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
The results may not show up immediately, but those little improvements are adding up. That is the power of consistency. Small improvements create momentum, and momentum moves you toward the future God has for you.
Keep Sharpening Your Skills
Another question I believe every leader should continually ask is, What skills do I need to learn?
I have been communicating for most of my life, but I am still learning how to communicate better. I still take courses. I still study. I still work on sharpening that skill because I never want to reach a place where I think I have arrived.
The moment we stop learning is the moment we stop growing.
Proverbs 1:5 says, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.”
Maybe you need to become better at communication. Maybe you need to learn more about finances, technology, sales, leadership, management, or building a team. Your industry may be changing around you, and the skills that brought you this far may not be enough to take you where God wants you to go next.
Be a lifelong learner. Stay curious. Keep growing. Never allow your experience to become an excuse for becoming comfortable.
Become the Leader Your Future Requires
There is another important part of mastering the ordinary, and it has to do with how you see yourself.
Your daily actions are connected to your identity. When you begin seeing yourself as a disciplined person, you begin making disciplined choices. When you see yourself as a learner, you look for opportunities to grow. When you see yourself as an excellent leader, you begin paying attention to things you used to overlook.
Zig Ziglar used to say, “You cannot consistently perform in a manner inconsistent with the way you see yourself.”
So how do you see yourself?
Do you see yourself becoming the leader God has called you to become? Do your daily decisions agree with that picture? Are the things you are doing today preparing you for where you want to be tomorrow?
Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Growth begins on the inside. When our thinking changes, our choices change. When our choices change, our habits change. Over time, our lives change.
Do not just focus on what you want to accomplish. Focus on who you need to become.
Leadership Challenge
This week, I want you to slow down long enough to examine the ordinary areas of your leadership. Ask yourself three questions: What are the fundamentals of my success? What skill do I need to improve? What is one area where I can get 1% better?
Write your answers down. Then choose one practical action you can begin immediately.
Maybe it is making one additional phone call every day. Maybe it is spending fifteen minutes developing a skill. Maybe it is preparing for tomorrow before you leave the office today. Maybe it is improving how you follow up with customers. Maybe it is spending more intentional time with God before the demands of your day begin.
Whatever it is, do not underestimate it because it looks ordinary.
Remember, the little things separate the best from the rest. You do not have to change everything today. You just have to keep growing, keep learning, keep improving, and keep doing the common things uncommonly well.
That is how legendary leaders are built.