The CEO Code

Keystone Habit

A keystone habit is influential and has the ability to ignite a chain reaction, create other tendencies, and transform all patterns. This concept is discussed in The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg with an example from Alcoa under the leadership of Paul O’Neill. O’Neill dramatically turned the company around from a losing position into a streamlined and profitable entity. The keystone habit he focused on was building accountability and communication about safety, and directly connecting it to profits. Gradually, it caused a sea change within the company.

The best keystone habit that I have seen and that I helped implement in scores of companies is that of regular one-to-one meetings between leaders and their direct reports. Consistency ...