PERSONAL HABITS HABIT ONE: SEEK CLARITY Envision the Future Four. Have vision and consistently set clear intentions for who you want to be each day, how you want to interact with others, what skills you must develop to win in the future, and how you can make a difference and serve with excellence. Never enter a situation without thinking through th

SUMMARY GUIDE “Whatever you are, be a good one.” —Abraham Lincoln

“Sometimes, we’re so concerned about giving our children what we never had growing up, we neglect to give them what we did have growing up.” —James Dobson

All these points are even more important if you are a leader. Allowing greater satisfaction as you strive isn’t just about how much better you can feel. It’s also about how others feel around you. No one wants to work with someone who is perennially dissatisfied with themselves or others. We’ve found that leaders who are always stuck in error-detec

Being satisfied, then, doesn’t mean “settling.” It simply means accepting and taking pleasure in what is. It’s allowing yourself to feel contentment whether or not a thing is complete or “perfect.” For example, as I write this book, I’m satisfied even though I’m trying to make it better, even though I’m just weeks from deadline, even though I’m not

The nothing-is-good-enough, never-settle mentality also compels them to discard too quickly what’s in front of them and move on to the next iteration or thing. And with that, no real appreciation or memory of achievement is forged in their mind, and so they are just busy and empty ghosts on a hunt for some dream day when they might have perfection.

Dissatisfaction causes them to obsess about the negative, leading in turn to a habit of missing what’s working, and failing to praise or appreciate others. This negative focus prevents the kind of gratitude that makes life magical and leadership with others possible.

Never forget, people can perceive you to be superior minded when you don’t engage with them, even if it’s not your true intent or spirit.

A few more points about the lonely-at-the-top syndrome, just because it’s just so corrosive: First, I’ve rarely met a high performer who thinks they’re “at the top.” Most feel like they’re just getting started. They understand they’re still students of life, and no matter how stellar their success, they feel that they’re just a few steps in on the