I often hear from busy CEOs who feel exhausted and overwhelmed while trying to grow and scale their businesses. Getting stuck in the day-to-day operations, long hours, lack of exercise, and poor eating habits contribute to their physical and mental exhaustion, making it even harder to stay focused and make strategic decisions that drive their business forward.
According to the Harvard Business Review, CEOs typically work an average of nearly 10 hours per weekday, not accounting for additional hours on weekends or holidays. This underscores the reality that the role is effectively a 24/7 commitment with little downtime. While the number of hours worked ultimately depends on the individual CEO, employing effective time management techniques is essential to balance professional responsibilities with personal commitments, offering a more sustainable approach than overextending oneself.
Stuck in a Traffic Jam: Going Nowhere Fast?
When you’re overwhelmed, it’s like being in a traffic jam—you’re moving, but very slowly, and it feels like you’re not getting anywhere. Despite all the effort, you’re trapped in a situation where progress is limited, and you’re burning through resources (time, energy, focus) without seeing any meaningful results. The longer you stay stuck, the more frustrated and exhausted you become, but without taking action to break free, you continue to move in circles.
In this challenging reality, taking back control and creating a vision of the ideal CEO life—one that aligns with your personal and professional goals—becomes not only possible but essential. Prioritizing your time and focusing on what truly matters, without being side tracked by daily distractions, is crucial to moving beyond the status quo and achieving greater success.
Shifting Gears – Accelerating Your Time for Maximum Efficiency?
1st Gear – Service and diagnostics
Do you know where your time is being spent – and what it’s costing your business?
To gain a clearer understanding, track how your time is allocated over the course of a week. Break it down into key business segments (e.g. administration, strategy, meetings texts & calls, leadership & coaching and other responsibilities specific to your role). Total up the time spent and divide by your hourly rate. Ask yourself: is this the best use of my time?
Example: Total Weekly Cost=∑ (Time Spent per Category×Hourly Rate)
Understanding the true cost of your decisions will not only make delegating easier, but also provide greater perspective on where your focus should be to maximise business value.
This exercise will help you identify areas of inefficiency and uncover opportunities for better time management.
2nd Gear – The Roadmap
Do you have a dedicated plan with systems and resources to free up your time?
While your company likely has a Business Plan in place, do you have a specific plan for being the “Productive CEO”? This plan should outline strategies to optimise time while balancing both professional and personal commitments. Appoint a co-driver or trusted adviser – someone responsible for identifying and eliminating the roadblocks which may be lingering in your mind, buried in to-do-lists or stuck on post-it-notes.
Having streamlined systems and access to the right resources will keep you on track, enabling more efficient decision making, improved workflow and better results overall.
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey
3rd Gear – Mastering the Power
Do you have the confidence to say NO? Here are a few strategies to help you accelerate your effectiveness:
Implement your own Traffic Light System to manage routine, low value tasks that are directed your way. Assess whether these tasks truly require your input. Before moving forward, consider these options:
- Red Light: STOP or Assess – Does this task need your attention? If not, delegate or defer it.
- Yellow Light: CAUTION or Prepare – Does this task require clarification? Set aside time to decide if it needs attention.
- Green Light: GO or Execute – Quickly handle and provide guidance if the task is important and requires your expertise.
Empower your team by asking what actions they’ve already taken or what they believe is the best way to resolve the issue. This not only lightens your load but fosters a culture of problem solving and accountability.
Alternatively consider applying a problem solving method like KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid) to manage your workload. Before taking action, evaluate whether the task can be delegated, deleted or outsourced. This approach can free up valuable time, allowing you to focus on priority projects that not only drive business growth but also re-energise you by working on tasks you truly enjoy.
“You don’t have to do everything yourself. The key is to create systems that allow others to handle the details.” – Michael E. Gerber
4th Gear – Unleash Your Momentum
Now that you’ve navigated the roadblocks and mastered your power, it’s time to hit full speed.
Take action today and transform your potential into real progress. The journey is yours – drive forward toward your goals with purpose and momentum.
Reflect on this:
Avoid becoming the doer who gets lost in the details. Instead, great leaders engage their teams, inspire collaboration, and lead with vision.
Tell me about your ideal day in the life of a CEO – how you allocate your time, your priorities and what energises you. Let’s explore how I can help you lead with focus, energy, and a clear strategic vision.