Zen philosophy says creating something simple takes more effort than making something complex. Simplicity requires uncluttered thinking.
And the same idea applies to your thinking itself. It's important to cherish awareness and simple thinking in your work — and take action. Starting at a basic level opens the door to adding more skills later. It's easier to build knowledge when you start with the fundamentals.
Excellence at work "is built on ordinary, repeatable skills that anyone can learn," said John Amaechi, an organizational psychologist, college professor and the author of "It's Not Magic: The Ordinary Skills of Exceptional Leaders."
Many people strive for mastering complex tasks before they get the basics down. "The mistake people make is to dismiss at least some of the skills I describe as too obvious to matter," he said. "But mastery in business, leadership, as in sport or music, lies in making what is energy-expensive look effortless."
Put in the effort to make things simple.
Win The Morning With Simple Thinking
Start your mornings simply. A good way to do this is with a gratitude check. Take a few moments to remind yourself of all the things in your life that you're grateful for. It's important to do this even when your calendar is stacked and pressures are high, says Lamell McMorris, founder and CEO of Phase 2 Consulting and the founder and managing principal of Greenlining Realty USA.
"Your first thoughts set the tone for your entire day," he said. "And in business, your tone can set the tone for your entire team."
Live Determined
The ability to shake off past negatives in business — disappointments and previous failures — often separates success from failure, McMorris says. He's also the author of "The Power to Persist: 8 Simple Habits to Build Lifelong Resilience."
Determination means committing to the goal even when the path changes. "Resilience is a way of life, not just a coping mechanism for hard times," McMorris said. "Resilience begins with mindset." When challenges hit, your optimism and push to keep moving forward are essential.
But resilience also means staying vigilant in the good times, too.
"Don't coast when things are going well — use that momentum to grow and sharpen your edge so you're ready for whatever comes next," he said. "You don't build resilience in the middle of the storm — you build it long before; in the quiet moments no one sees."
Study Your Life Films
Many cling to the myth that years of experience automatically make someone wise, Amaechi says. But "experience alone teaches nothing — reflection does," he said. "We have all seen leaders who repeat the same poor choices, as if they never stopped to ask why."
Exceptional leaders take time to examine what worked, what failed and what they could do differently. It's similar to a football coach dissecting films of past games. "That habit is what turns experience into foresight — the ability to spot patterns and make better decisions when it matters most," Amaechi said.
Stay In The Moment To Make Things Simple
Big lessons rarely announce themselves with fanfare, Amaechi says. Often, they are subtle. The best businesspeople and leaders collect insights from small events in their life, whether it's an offhand comment in a meeting, a client's hesitation or a mistake they almost made.
Effective leaders and people are consistently aware. They "build a library of experiences, a practice that helps them see patterns," he said. "This leads to making better decisions, so that when the stakes are high, they already have a map to follow."
Communicate Impactfully
Just know that your words can build trust or incinerate it. Leaders who treat language sloppily send the message that people do not matter, Amaechi says.
"Those who lead well pause to consider not just what they mean, but the many ways their words could be heard," he said. "They utilize stories that resonate because they care deeply about what people take away, not just about being heard."
Most people hear just enough to load up their next clever reply, but exceptional leaders do the opposite, Amaechi says. "They stay present, even when the silence feels uncomfortable, because they know the real insight often sits in what is unsaid," he said.
