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Reaching outside your comfort zone is critical for success in business and in life. If you want to be successful, follow these three tips.

Today’s post is by Andy Molinsky, author of Reach.

If you play tennis, you’re probably familiar with the concept of a “second serve.�� In tennis, you have two chances to serve the ball, so on the first you can really put everything into it, with little risk since you always have that second one to fall back on.

Our reader poll today asks: How fearful are you of losing your high-performers to other companies?

Extremely �� their departure would be devastating 9.28%Very �� I’d hate to lose them and it would be hard to replace them 51.00%Somewhat �� it would hurt but I can backfill for them 27.15%Not very �� they’re all going to leave at some point anyway 7.28%Not at all �� I have a lot of talent waiting to step into their role 5.29%

Build Your Bench.

If you’re mindful about the way you spend your time when you’re doing analysis, you’re going to be able to solve more problems more effectively and more efficiently.

Critical thinking doesn’t just apply��to the analysis you do,��it applies to the way you do analysis.��Choosing which analysis��to do and how to handle the results that come out.��I encourage people to take the high road and the low road when they’re thinking about analysis:

The High Road

On the high road, always step up to the high level problem that you’re trying to solve and ask, “How does the analysis I’m doing tied to that problem?

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In an age of too many options, four simple questions can provide a clear approach to making those frequent decisions in a way that saves us time.

Today’s post is by Jack Quarles, author of Expensive Sentences

We live in a time of unprecedented options. Those of us in developed economies of the 21st century, even with average incomes, have more choices than ever before in what we eat, what we wear, our jobs, where we live or travel, our entertainment and education�� and the list goes on.

Our reader poll today asks: How do you handle “gatekeepers�� at work?

I work directly with them to persuade them to “open the gate�� 59.68%I find other ways to get the information I need 25.81%I work around them to force them to work with me 9.68%I give up when they provide too much resistance 4.83%

Collaborate with the Gatekeepers.

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Using the 80/20 rule can help you spend your time and energy more efficiently.

Critical thinking doesn’t only apply��to coming up with recommendations.��You need to think critically about the way��you’re going to spend your time and energy.��Those things are limited.��You have too many problems to solve and not enough time.

I encourage people to follow the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle.

Smart leaders fail when they chase symptoms, not root causes. Discover how awareness helps teams solve real problems and boost performance.

Today’s guest post is by Sean Glaze, author of What Effective Leaders DO.��

Even the most intelligent and well-intentioned leaders can get stuck.

They work hard. They respond quickly. They troubleshoot constantly. But despite their effort, their teams still underperform, communication breaks down, and morale dips.

Our reader poll today asks: How do you manage allocating new work to your team members?

I allocate work fairly and evenly�� 38.16% I allocate more work to higher performers 29.61%I let team members volunteer for work 11.19%I give new work to whomever is available at that moment 14.47%I rely way too heavily on high performers 6.57%

Don’t Burn Out High Performers.

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Leaders who empower their team members get better results.�� They make faster decisions, have the ability to act, and create dramatically better experiences for customers.�� Here’s how you can empower your teams.

Today’s post is by Dianna Booher, author of What MORE Can I Say?

“Happy families are all alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,�� observed the Russian philosopher and novelist Leo Tolstoy.

Our reader poll today asks: What is your reaction to a team member asking you for a raise?

I’m happy to discuss it and am impressed by their self-advocacy 85.17%I don’t like it at all. I’ll let them know when they’re due a raise 14.83%

Listening to your team members�� needs. While the vast majority of you say you’re welcoming of team members asking for a raise, for the 15% of you who are against it, ask yourself why.