Three steps to setting priorities

Leadership success can depend on your calendar and to-do list. Consultant John Maxwell, on his company's website, notes that as a leader it's not always clear which activities deserve priority in your daily schedule. He offers a three-step process to help.

First, rate the task in terms of importance:

–Critical = 5 points

–Necessary = 4 points

–Important = 3 points

–Helpful = 2 points

–Marginal = 1 point

Now rate the task by urgency, in terms of when it needs to be done:

–This month = 5 points

–Next month = 4 points

–This quarter = 3 points

–Next quarter = 2 points

–End of year = 1 point

Now multiply the importance by the urgency. So a critical task (five points) needing to be completed by the next month (four points) receives a score of 20. Arrange the tasks on your to-do list according to those scores.