Itty Bitty Habits in a Two-Minute Post: Your Path to Higher Performance

January 9, 2024

Hey Friends,


Let's talk about those tiny habits that could have a giant impact. You know the drill – every New Year’s, we pledge to eat cleaner, get fitter, and catch more Z’s. At first, we’re on cloud nine with our progress. But then? Not so much. Ever wonder why these shiny new routines fizzle out, leaving us in a lurch?


It’s not about the fire in our belly; it's our game plan that needs a rethink. We're ace at biting off more than we can chew right out of the gate.


So, what's the real deal for making those changes last? Drumroll, please... It’s all about those teeny, manageable habits.

untied shoes

The real kicker is understanding that our drive isn't the end-all. Relying on motivation is like trying to push a boulder uphill... with a teaspoon.


The Won’t of Willpower

The Myth? More willpower. The Reality? Smarter strategies. We’re all running on empty when it comes to the pep rally in our heads. The magic happens when we weave new, tiny behaviors into our everyday hustle. It’s about the cues that nudge us towards the habits that stick.


Here's the scoop: Throw out that guilt trip about willpower. I've got a two-parter for you – quit the self-blame game and chop up those big dreams into bite-sized, totally doable deeds.


Motivation might get you a quick win but for the marathon? You need something sturdier. Steady, repeated actions are your golden ticket. Start with small, immediate steps that transform your lofty ambitions into your new norm.

Introducing my NEW workshop for campus leadership teams:


Equipping YOUR Executive Leaders to BUILD Higher Performance Teams


Book the Workshop Today!

Designing Effective Prompts

Crafting the proper prompts is a game-changer for forming habits that actually stick. Imagine tying your habit to an anchor event, like squats post-email check. It’s about making it fit so snugly into your life that it feels like second nature. We're talking about the who, what, when, and where of our daily patterns.


For example, let me tell you what I'm stirring up for 2024. After years of lifting weights, I’ve become about as bendy as a crowbar. So, my new thing? Stretching. Here's how I'm wiring it into my brain: My alarm clock is my starting gun at 5 AM. The routine? Dog, beans, brew. Before the coffee hits my lips, I'm hitting a 15-minute stretch. I'm betting this will be my jam for the next couple of decades.


The bottom line? Grit isn’t the hero of this story. It’s the micro-moves, the ones you can do today, that build the habits of tomorrow.


And hey, if you're serious about making 2024 the year you do the thing instead of just talking about it, trust the power of starting small.


Pro Tip: Kick things off with “starter steps.” Pop your sneakers by the bed as a promise for a morning run.


Want to dig deeper? "Atomic Habits" by James Clear is your handbook. It’s all about the system, not just the finish line.

Applications Open!

Applications are open for our new workshop – Equipping YOUR Executive Leaders to BUILD Higher Performance Teams. — But don’t delay! Better schedule preferences await for earlier applicants.


Through a proven framework, this highly engaging team workshop is focused on the immediate, practical ways to build Healthy Teams and Highly Reliable Systems. 


If you are tired of being more busy than brilliant, I invite you to consider this limited-time offer to accelerate your leadership team development.


If you are serious about differentiating yourself from the noise of average teams, I want to hear from you.


Click the link on this page that says, “Book the Workshop Today!”. We will follow up with you to answer your questions and pencil in your preferred team workshop date. 


Booking this workshop might be your wisest decision of the year. New campus teams are enrolling each month, and we look forward to having you join us! 


Lock in your preferred team retreat date, and we look forward to following up with you soon!


P.S. If the timing is not right at the moment, no problem. Consider joining THE GROUP. It’s a FREE newsletter filled with fascinating and practical articles, books, and podcasts curated by Higher Performance Leaders nationwide. Here is a recent sample of THE GROUP. 

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Interested in becoming an Influencer to THE GROUP? Check it out HERE and become a regular contributor to THE GROUP!


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Higher Performance Insights | Breaking the Problem Hoarding Cycle

By HPG Info • February 11, 2025
Strategies for Moving Past Organizational Gridlock When problems become our pets, we feed them daily. We house them in the corners of our institutions, letting them grow from minor inconveniences into immovable monuments. As educational leaders, we're particularly susceptible to this trap - not because we're ineffective, but precisely because we're busy and dedicated to getting things right. The psychology behind problem hoarding is fascinating. Research by Sheard and Kakabadse (2022) found that educational leaders often develop what they term "complexity attachment" - an unconscious investment in maintaining difficult situations rather than resolving them. This manifests in behaviors like refusing support, rejecting collaboration, and personalizing institutional challenges. The Hidden Cost of Holding On Studies reveal alarming statistics: 65% of educational leaders report spending more than half their time managing recurring problems Teams under problem-hoarding leadership show 41% lower innovation rates Institutional change initiatives fail 73% more often when leaders refuse to delegate challenges Breaking Free: The Three R's of Problem Liberation Release : Acknowledge that holding problems doesn't equal solving them Redistribute : Share challenges across your team's collective wisdom Reimagine : View problems as opportunities for systemic growth The Power of Productive Detachment Recent work by Heifetz and Linsky (2021) suggests that leaders who practice "productive detachment" show significantly higher rates of successful organizational transformation. This means: Separating personal identity from institutional challenges Creating space for multiple solution pathways Embracing collective problem-solving approaches From Hoarding to Harvesting The most effective leaders understand that problem-solving isn't a solitary sport. Fullan's (2023) study of high-performing school districts found that leaders who engaged in "networked improvement communities" solved complex challenges 3.4 times faster than those who tackled issues alone. Your Action Steps Identify one problem you've been "polishing rather than solving" Invite three fresh perspectives to examine the challenge Document the resistance and revelations that emerge Remember: The alternative to problem hoarding isn't problem abandonment - it's problem sharing. References: Edmondson, A. C. (2018). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. Wiley. Fullan, M. (2023). Leading in a culture of change (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass. Heifetz, R. A., & Linsky, M. (2021). Leadership on the line: Staying alive through the dangers of leading (2nd ed.). Harvard Business Review Press. Sheard, G., & Kakabadse, A. P. (2022). Leadership in turbulent times: A study of organizational adaptation and transformation. Journal of Change Management, 22(1), 45-67.

Higher Performance Insights | The Art of Pause: Why Elite Leaders Master the Power of "Not Yet"

By HPG Info • February 4, 2025
When the stakes are highest, the best leaders know how to slow down time. Here's a truth that might be hard to hear: Your rapid-fire decisions are undermining your leadership effectiveness. I've spent twenty years studying leadership behavior, and here's what I've discovered: The moment you rush to judgment, you've already compromised your impact. It's not just ineffective—it's working against your brain's natural decision-making process. Think about your last crisis moment. You probably felt the pressure to act immediately. But what if that pressure was actually your biggest enemy? Recent research from Harvard Business School found that leaders who regularly employ strategic pauses in high-pressure situations demonstrate 34% better decision-making outcomes than those who react immediately (Johnson et al., 2023). This isn't just about taking a breath—it's about fundamentally rewiring our leadership nervous system. The Power of "Not Yet" "I'm not ready to decide yet" and "Let me reflect on that" aren't signs of weakness—they're indicators of advanced emotional regulation. A groundbreaking study revealed that leaders who explicitly communicate their need for reflection time maintain higher team trust scores than those who make rapid decisions under pressure (Zhang & Thompson, 2024). And it gets better. Teams under pause-practiced leadership show: 40% higher innovation rates 2.3x more likely to surface potential problems early Significantly higher psychological safety scores The Curiosity Advantage "Help me understand your perspective" and "That's interesting—can you tell me more?" do something remarkable to team dynamics. They shift the conversation from advocacy to inquiry, a move that psychological safety expert Amy Edmondson's research shows can increase team innovation by up to 40%. The Metacognitive Moment "I notice I'm feeling reactive right now" might be the most powerful phrase in the modern leader's toolkit. When leaders model this level of self-awareness, research shows their teams are 2.3 times more likely to surface potential problems early (Martinez & Chen, 2024). 12 Sentences Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Use Under Pressure: "I need a minute to think this through." "Help me understand your perspective." "That's interesting—can you tell me more?" "I notice I'm feeling reactive right now" "Let's pause and come back to this." "What would a good outcome look like for you?" "I appreciate you bringing this to my attention." "I see this differently, but I'm curious about your view." "Can we explore other options together?" "I'm not ready to decide yet." "What am I missing here?" "Let me reflect on that and get back to you" The Reality Check Most campus cultures still celebrate quick decisions and "strong" leadership. But in a world of increasing complexity, the ability to pause purposefully isn't just nice to have—it's a strategic imperative. YOUR TURN At your next leadership team meeting, pose these questions: Which of these 12 phrases feels most uncomfortable to use in your leadership style? What might that discomfort tell us about our leadership culture? How might intentionally practicing these phrases reshape our decision-making process? REFERENCES: Edmondson, A. C. (2023). Right kind of wrong: The science of failing well. Harvard Business Review Press. Johnson, M. K., Smith, R. B., & Chen, D. (2023). Strategic pauses: The hidden advantage in leadership decision-making. Harvard Business Review, 101(2), 96-103. Martinez, S. A., & Chen, L. (2024). The metacognitive edge: How leader self-awareness shapes team performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 45(1), 12-31. Zhang, Y., & Thompson, R. J. (2024). Trust dynamics in high-pressure leadership environments. Journal of Applied Psychology, 109(3), 515-534.
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