The tech industry is absolutely saturated with buzzwords, some more useful than others. One that’s both ubiquitous and somewhat relevant these days is “optimize”: as in, “optimize your performance.”
This isn’t a new idea, but it’s gaining traction as the artificial intelligence race heats up and whispers of imminent superintelligence grow louder. For humanity, keeping up means leveling up.
Tall order? Not really. To boost your productivity and output, you don’t have to swing for the fences. You just have to get a little better every day, says productivity expert James Clear. He’s a fan of the “1% approach.”
“Improving by just 1% isn’t notable (and sometimes it isn’t even noticeable)… but it can be just as meaningful, especially in the long run,” he says. Rack up sequential 1% improvements over a long enough period and the results will be impressive.
Some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, executives and thought leaders have figured out how to do that. Here are (some of) their secrets.
1. They’re Bullish on the Next Big Thing.
Successful tech leaders have a keen eye for the next big thing, says Sky Dayton, the entrepreneur and investor behind groundbreaking digital businesses like EarthLink and Boingo Wireless.
“It feels like we’re on the verge of cures for all diseases, universally available online education, space travel, abundant clean energy, and yes, even flying cars. All of these possibilities are emerging on an accelerating curve…I get to work with brilliant people every day creating this future,” Dayton says.
Dayton’s examples hint that his advice applies far beyond the software industry, to the emerging “hardtech” sectors set to define the second quarter of the 21st century. Leaders who embrace innovation in these sectors could thrive in the next decade and beyond, surpassing those wedded to the same old ways of doing things.
2. They Follow Their Passion.
Dayton also advises leaders looking to level up their productivity and output to do what they love, not just what they’re good at (or what they’ve fallen into). He’s not the only one. The late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs remained deep in the weeds of product design long after it was necessary; his return to the company during a particularly rough patch most likely saved it from irrelevance in the pre-iPhone days.
3. They Drive a Hard Bargain — And Deserve It.
High performers know what they’re worth and aren’t afraid to ask for it.
Take Elon Musk, the Tesla cofounder whose board recently proposed a compensation plan that could make him the world’s first trillionaire.
“The proposed plan would grant Musk up to 12% of Tesla’s stock, worth about $1.03 trillion if the company hits its target market value of $8.6 trillion,” says Reuters reporter Akash Sriram.
Despite falling sales in Tesla’s core automotive business, Musk has been unwavering in his vision of a company that dominates in AI and robotics. His shareholders have faith in his ability to execute, and with good reason; now it’s on him to deliver.
4. They Take Care of Themselves.
The legendary parties of Web 2.0’s heyday a decade ago have given way to a (literally) sober reality where execution — not “buzz” — is the ultimate currency.
The shift tracks a broader, long-term trend of declining alcohol consumption (and consumption of other intoxicating substances as well). Just 24% of Americans say they drink daily and 40% say they drink weekly, both of which are well below historical averages. But that’s only a sidebar to the larger point that peak performers realize there’s no time like the present and no time to waste.
5. They Build Identities Separate From Their Work.
High performers know there’s no time like the present and no time to waste. They also know that tightly coupling one’s identity with one’s work is a one-way ticket to burnout.
So they strike a balance and carve out time for family and pursuits that have little or nothing to do with their day jobs. When they disconnect, they really disconnect, and they come back ready to hit the ground running.
6. They Learn From the Best.
Finally, high performers know they can’t do everything on their own, even when they’re the best person to get it done. They build strong and deep personal and professional networks, seeking out mentors and acting as the same when the time comes. They embrace community and do everything in their power to learn from the best — other than themselves, of course.
Optimize, Optimize, Optimize
Forget the word of the day. “Optimize” is the word of the decade, maybe of the century. The drive to perform better and produce more on an individual and collective basis has been with humanity for eons and is only becoming more urgent as — for the first time ever — we find ourselves contending with a new type of intelligence.
These strategies might not be enough to put you on equal footing with the uber-smart AIs of the future. But they will help you get more out of your work, and your life, in the here and now. That in itself is worth aspiring to.
