6 by 6 Execution

Last week on the plane ride to Florida I read what is perhaps the most user-friendly leadership book ever. It's Bill Hybels' Axiom. While Courageous Leadership is a classic (which our staff is currently reading and discussing at our meetings), I believe Axiom is Hybels' best.

He's got 70+ leadership "axioms" that are easy to retain and powerful to live by. The one that stands out the most to me is what he calls "Six by Six Execution."

Basically it answers this question: What six things do I need to accomplish in the next six weeks?

This is signficant for several reasons:

1) It assumes you can't do everything, and forces you to narrow down your schedule to going after the six most important things that only you can do.

2) It gives you a time limit for completion.

3) It allows you to live with a high level of adrenaline and concentration broken down into short energy bursts.

4) By allowing six weeks to get something done, you're moving beyond merely the urgent "to-do" list and making room for projects that require planning, thought, and reflection.

For guys (like me) who have a mild to moderate case of adult ADHD, this is absolutely brilliant. What would you put on your list?