15 productivity lessons from successful founders

Productivity is just one element of a successful career, but without it, you’ll get nowhere. From Steve Jobs to Shan-Lyn Ma, the biggest-hitting business founders didn’t just start with a big idea – they knew how to work to make it happen.

The greatest ideas in the world can be jeopardized by a dip in productivity. And these days it’s all too easy to get dragged out of the ‘zone’ and into meaningless meetings, deliberation, procrastination, or that sweet, sweet social media. How can you stay on-track?

There’s one person in the world that can justify spending his whole working life on Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg. So it’s no wonder he has learnt the power of prioritizing.

"The question I ask myself like almost every day," says Zuckerberg, “is 'Am I doing the most important thing I could be doing?’”

Other successful founders agree on the importance of prioritization to maximize productivity.

LearnVest founder Alexa von Tobel suggests that automation is the secret to getting those easy but unproductive tasks off the table.

“The more tasks that are low excitement, like ordering paper towels, that can be taken off my plate and fully automated, the better,” von Tobel told Entrepreneur. “I then have the energy and the brain power for things that are real decisions I need to make.”

We’ve gathered 15 productivity tips from top company founders that are backed up with scientifically-verified ways to action them.

Productivity is the base-line of getting your project to where you need it to be. Combine it with kindness, creativity, and the wise suggestions of these successful founders to become your best professional self.

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For those looking to craft a resume that reflects your productivity skills and work ethic, a well-designed resume template can provide the structure you need to highlight your accomplishments. Complementing your resume with a personalized cover letter is equally important. Utilize cover letter templates to ensure your application communicates your ability to prioritize and automate tasks effectively, echoing the practices of successful founders.

To further strengthen your application, drawing inspiration from free cover letter examples can provide insights into how to articulate your productivity strategies and achievements. Likewise, reviewing resume examples for jobs can offer guidance on presenting your experience in a way that resonates with today’s top employers.

And for those looking to streamline their application process, a cover letter generator can be a valuable tool in efficiently creating cover letters that are both compelling and tailored to the job at hand, ensuring you maintain productivity even in your job search.

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