Welcome to "Navigating Leadership," an eight-part series of articles and videos by Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret), Vice Chair of Global Affairs at Carlyle. Drawing from his 37-year naval career, including his role as Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, Admiral Stavridis shares key leadership insights and wisdom for today’s increasingly complex and changing world. Subscribe here to be notified of future editions.

When I took command of my first ship, the destroyer USS Barry, I quickly learned that much of a commander’s and crew’s success at sea depends on how well they organize before setting sail. The same holds true for anyone in a leadership position. Being organized is central to tackling projects successfully. Proceeding in an orderly way helps you get the job done according to plan, as well as deal with the unexpected challenges that will inevitably arise.

Organization is more than a skill—it is a quality of character. It implies a disciplined, linear, sensible approach to analysis and problem-solving. Being organized requires filtering out spurious inputs, avoiding emotional analysis, and clearing away the mental clutter that easily distracts many of us.

Fortunately, organization is a character trait that can be developed and practiced. To help, there are now many devices, software, and applications to help get organized— from simple to-do apps for your phone, to wearable devices that measure and track behaviors, to artificial intelligence assistants that can learn our routines and make recommendations, these modern tools can help us put our work in order.

However, I say this with one important caveat. The key to being organized is the ability to reject impulses that lead to distraction. These same electronic tools that help us stay organized can also be an endless source of distraction. It’s up to us to limit their influence over our lives, and that requires discipline.

“You are what you inspect. You have to not only decide how to spend your time but inspect your schedule and see how you’re doing. Adjust course as you need to.”

One method I’ve found helpful in maintaining self-discipline and keeping myself organized is a time management paradigm I call “The Rule of Fourths.” It helps me stay on track and accomplish my goals by dividing my time and activities into four equal components:

1. People

I always try to devote a quarter of my time to issues dealing with people. At this point in my life, that involves mentoring many wonderful young people, including, of course, my children and grandchildren. When I was younger, this meant spending a quarter of my time not only with my family, but also mentoring and learning from colleagues.

2. Innovation

Looking ahead is crucial to leadership and to living a fulfilling life overall. I try to put about quarter of my time into “innovation,” which I view as thinking up, researching, and encouraging new ideas. This is a large part of my role at Carlyle, where I focus on aerospace and defense issues, as well as on cybersecurity. But innovation is not limited to science or technology. Whatever the issue or problem, creating and implementing possible solutions requires innovative thinking and connecting dots that others haven’t.

3. Communication

If we categorize the time spent thinking and coming up with solutions as “innovation,” then an equal proportion of time should be spent communicating those and other ideas. I devote a quarter of my time to writing and communicating my thoughts and knowledge—be it through my books, articles and columns, emails, working as Chief International Security Analyst for NBC, or keeping up with personal and professional connections around the world.

4. Operations & Education

The final quarter of my time is spent on a mix of daily operational responsibilities and learning. This includes things like working out, reading, recreation and household chores. In the rush of everyday life, especially for women who continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of home- and family-related responsibilities, the percentage of time devoted to what I call “daily operations” can easily exceed 25%.

Lastly, I’d like to point out that there is overlap among the four areas. So, while calendar discipline is important, remember that the Rule of Fourths is a rule for the long run. Don’t expect every day to be perfectly split between these four categories but try your best to stay balanced over time. Use one of the many electronic tools available to track your efforts and then adjust accordingly.

Until next time, Godspeed and open water in your own leadership voyage.

We also invite you to subscribe to Up Close with Carlyle, our monthly thought leadership newsletter where we look at the investment landscape from a different point of view.