Do you ever feel like you're drowning in tasks, wishing for just one more hour in the day? If you're nodding your head, you're not alone. As a leader, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that being more efficient will solve all your problems. But here's the truth: there comes a point when efficiency isn't enough.
I work with tech executives who are masters at optimization, yet they still struggle with time. Why? Because they're focused on doing things faster rather than doing the right things. The real game-changer isn't cramming more into your schedule—it's learning to prioritize ruthlessly.
Traditional time management advice doesn't cut it for leaders. Your days are unpredictable, your calendar is packed with back-to-back meetings, and everything feels urgent. So how do you break free from this cycle? Let me share three strategies that will help you focus your energy where it counts most.
Define Your North Star
You can't prioritize effectively if you don't know what you're prioritizing for. It sounds obvious, but too many leaders operate with vague goals that shift with every new challenge that pops up.
Take one of my clients, a CEO who boiled his entire strategy down to three concrete goals: grow the user base, cut operating costs, and improve profitability. That's it. Three clear priorities that guided every decision he made.
Once he had board alignment, he did something powerful—he stopped everything else. Despite being a natural networker who loved speaking at conferences and appearing on podcasts, he started declining invitations that didn't directly advance those three goals.
But he didn't stop there. He shared these priorities with his entire organization during a town hall and encouraged everyone to challenge any initiative that didn't fit. If a manager pushed a pet project that fell outside these boundaries, employees had permission to escalate it directly to him. This created a culture where everyone understood what mattered and felt empowered to protect that focus.
Create Your "Stop Doing" List
The fastest way to free up your time isn't to work faster—it's to stop doing things that don't matter. Think of this as building an anti-to-do list.
Start with your calendar. I recommend a weekly calendar audit where you review upcoming meetings and ask yourself: Does this align with my priorities? Do I need to be there, or can I send someone else?
One client recently went through this exercise and freed up eight hours in a single week—in just 15 minutes of reviewing meetings. That's an entire workday reclaimed for strategic thinking.
The key is to be intentional about protecting this time. Block it off for high-impact work before it gets filled with more meetings. Otherwise, you'll just watch that hard-won time disappear into someone else's agenda.
Delegate Like Your Success Depends on It (Because It Does)
Here's a hard truth: as a leader, your job isn't to do everything well—it's to ensure the right things get done. That requires letting go.
Before you dive into any task, pause and ask yourself three questions:
- Is this truly my unique strength?
- Could someone else do this at least half as well as I?
- What high-value work am I sacrificing by doing this?
If a task doesn't fall squarely in your zone of genius, find someone else to handle it. One of my clients realized she was spending mental energy coordinating her daughter's medical appointments and managing a family relocation—tasks that were important but didn't require her specific expertise. She delegated them to her executive assistant and immediately felt the weight lift.
And don't limit delegation to work. Can your partner take on more household responsibilities? Can you automate grocery delivery or prescription refills? Every small task you offload creates space for what truly matters.
You can't manufacture more time, but you can be deliberate about how you spend it. When you get clear on your priorities, eliminate what doesn't serve them, and delegate strategically, something remarkable happens: you create breathing room. Room to think strategically, to lead effectively, and to focus on the work only you can do.
Stop trying to do everything faster. Start doing the right things with intention. Your future self will thank you.