7 Boring Habits That Will Transform Your Leadership
Simple, repeatable routines that separate real leaders from busy managers
We chase shiny. We chase fast. We chase what's new.
But the secret to transformational leadership is not the breakthrough ideas. It’s the boring stuff.
The routines that are so dull, they’re easy to skip. The practices that feel too simple to matter. And yet, these are the very habits that build trust, focus, and long-term credibility.
I've tried every new app, read every trendy book, but none of it stuck. What stuck were these 7 habits, and they changed how I lead.
Here’s your chance: make them yours, and watch your leadership compound over time.
Ready? Let’s go.
1. Write Down Your Top 3 Priorities. Every Single Day
Most leaders wake up and dive into Slack, email, or meetings. That’s not you leading. That’s your calendar leading you.
Instead, before the chaos begins, ask yourself:
What three things matter most today?
These might look like:
Block time to prep for Friday’s executive presentation and avoid scrambling last minute.
Have a 1:1 conversation with a team member who's been disengaged lately.
Carve out 90 minutes to think through the org redesign and sketch options.
Write them down on a sticky note, a journal, or your Notes app. I do this on my morning walk using my Notion app.
This habit forces you to pause and filter. It brings clarity. It stops you from reacting all day.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
2. Block Time to Think
If your calendar has zero time for thinking, you’re not leading, just going through the motions.
Block 30 minutes a week to sit quietly with a notebook. I like to avoid devices to avoid distraction.
Ask yourself:
What’s going well?
What’s not?
What am I avoiding?
What needs to change?
This is your space to synthesize, see patterns, and to zoom out. Many of the big strategic moves I have made started as ideas on this list.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
3. Ask the Same 3 Questions in Every 1-on-1
You don’t need a fresh agenda for every 1-on-1. You need rhythm.
Try these three questions every single time:
What’s working?
What’s frustrating?
What do you need from me?
Trust me: ask them regularly, while being fully present. And I guarantee you, magic will happen.
Your team will open up
Small issues will surface before they explode
You will uncover blockers you didn’t know existed
Most importantly, you will build genuine trust with your team.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
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4. End Every Meeting With Clear Action Items
You don’t need to make meetings shorter. What you really need is to make meetings count.
I’ve been to countless meetings that were a complete waste of everyone’s time because they failed to ask a simple question at the end:
“Who’s doing what, by when?”
Two minutes of clarity can save 10 hours of confusion, missed expectations, and passive-aggressive follow-ups.
Here’s what this looks like in real teams:
After a strategy sync: “Sarah to draft the first version of the vision deck by Wednesday. Mike to get stakeholder input by Friday.”
After a planning meeting: “Each team lead to review their resourcing and send revised plans by EOD Thursday.”
After a leadership alignment call: “Jane owns the final decision on pricing. Everyone else to send input by tomorrow noon. Final call by Friday.”
Even if the discussion is fuzzy, the next step should be sharp.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
5. Send One Thank-You Note Every Week
Gratitude isn’t fluffy. It’s human, and it’s real.
Send a simple note - a slack message, a quick shoutout in a team meeting, or a simple pat on the back - every week to someone who has demonstrated what ‘good’ looks like.
It doesn’t have to be a heroic. It just needs to be genuine, and valuable.
Your simple message can go a long way in building trust and loyalty, and it will remind the team that you notice and you care.
Here’s what this habit might look like in action:
You DM an engineer: “The way you stayed calm during that customer escalation was masterful. Thanks for having our back.”
You post in a public Slack channel: “Shoutout to the Ops team for pulling off the migration with zero downtime. Quiet excellence.”
You send an email to someone’s manager: “Just wanted to let you know that Leo has been incredibly responsive and thoughtful in every discussion. A real asset to this project.”
These moments take 90 seconds, but their impact could last for days or even weeks.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
6. Audit Your Week Like a CEO
Every Friday, pull up your calendar. Scan it with ruthless honesty.
Ask yourself:
What drained me?
What energized me?
What should I drop next week?
Now, take those insights and run them through the Eisenhower Matrix:
Urgent & Important → Do it
Important & Not Urgent → Schedule it
Urgent & Not Important → Delegate it
Not Urgent & Not Important → Delete it
This combo of reflection + prioritization to plan your calendar for next week.
Remember: your calendar represents your priorities and what you care about. Don’t just fill it, fix it.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
7. Read One Leadership Idea or Article Each Week
It could be:
One chapter from a leadership book.
One long-form article that makes you pause.
One new idea or insight related to leadership
Do this weekly and, in a year, you’ll have digested 50+ new perspectives.
This is how learning compounds, one week at a time.
You don’t need to read 10 books in a week and then go on a book diet for months.
Just be consistent, and most importantly, reflect and start applying the ideas you learn in your own role.
That’s how you grow.
Shameless plug: if you’re looking for one powerful read a week, subscribe to The Good Boss. I share practical leadership insights straight from the trenches.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
Conclusion: Leadership Isn't Glamorous — It's Repetitive
Leadership is not built in moments of brilliance.
It’s built in repetition, day in and day out, of boring habits.
These habits may be boring, but they’re powerful, and they will compound over time.
Which one habit are you planning to pick today? Let me know in the comments!
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Also, I’d love your feedback! 💬 Leave a quick testimonial here, and as a thank-you, I’ll send you a free copy of my book! It only takes a couple of minutes - thank you! 🙏
Wow thank you so much for this post. Can't wait to put it into practice
Nice and succinct with actionable insights 😊