I recently talked with a friend who has been an executive at large organizations and corporations for years. He said something I hear from leaders all the time: “Every day I feel overwhelmed. I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.”
I asked him to send me his schedule. It went something like this: 7:00 AM – Respond to emails, Meetings at 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM…
I told him, “I think meetings are your hobby!” We laughed, but a serious leadership issue lay underneath. His problem wasn’t that he didn’t have enough time. His problem was that he was trying to manage everything. And that is an easy habit for leaders to fall into.
We become so accustomed to being needed that we start believing we need to be involved in everything. But leadership isn’t about doing more. Leadership is about knowing what matters most, and putting your best energy, intention, and focus there.
The higher you move in an organization, the more important this becomes. Your job isn’t to make every decision. Your job is to make the right decisions and have the right conversations.
So, let’s 3×5 this. Take a few minutes and identify three things that only you can do.
- What are the decisions that only I can make?
Look at the decisions currently sitting on your desk. Which genuinely requires your authority, experience, perspective, or leadership? And which ones could and probably should be made by someone else?
If someone on your team can make a decision, give them the responsibility and authority to make it. Your involvement may feel efficient in the moment, but over time, it can keep your team from growing and keep you from focusing on what you can do.
- What is the conversation that only I need to have?
Is there a conversation that could move your team forward? Maybe it’s clarifying where you’re going, reinforcing your purpose, addressing a lingering issue, or casting the vision for what you need to accomplish this year.
You can delegate some conversations, but don’t delegate the ones only you can have. As the leader, there are moments when your voice matters. Your team may need clarity, courage, direction, accountability, or encouragement, and sometimes they need to hear directly from you.
- What is a personal priority that only I can own?
Leadership isn’t just about what happens at work. What have you been putting off for weeks or months? Maybe it’s taking some time off, getting back into a consistent workout routine, or spending more time with your family. Maybe it’s reading, studying, reflecting, or just creating some space to think.
Your personal priorities don’t become less important because your calendar is full. In fact, they may become more important. You can’t keep giving your best to everyone else while neglecting the things that sustain you.
So, here’s the challenge: Stop trying to manage everything. When you do, you move from overwhelmed to focused, from busy to productive, and from the person who must do everything to the leader who empowers others to do what they can.
