A recent conversation with an executive reminded me of an important truth I want to share with you.
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The most dangerous leader in any organisation isn’t the one who makes bad decisions.
It’s the one who doesn’t have time to think.
I’ve mentored many executives who are genuinely amazing people. Smart. Experienced. Committed.
And often trapped.
Trapped in back-to-back meetings. Trapped in constant notifications.
Trapped in the feeling that stopping – even for an hour – means falling behind.
So they keep running. Busy all the time. Going somewhere.
But not always in the right direction.
Why it matters
Nowadays our lives are becoming more and more penetrated with technologies. “Being always-on” has become not only a new habit – but an expectation from our colleagues, clients, partners and even friends.
This keeps our minds constantly dealing with tons of information, digesting it in some form, generating responses and multitasking.
And while it might seem like a new norm – our bodies and minds were not designed to operate under such conditions with constant distractions, stress, and information overload.
This is just not how we are wired. We need time to rest, to reflect on what has happened during the day, and to regain our focus.
Otherwise we might just be running somewhere and being busy all the time.
McKinsey research confirms what most leaders feel but rarely admit: executives spend 37% of their time making decisions – and estimate 58% of that time is spent ineffectively.
We cannot lead well on autopilot.
We cannot make good decisions without space to think.
We cannot see the bigger picture from inside the chaos.
The leaders who consistently outperform don’t work more. They slow down and think better.
And thinking better requires protecting time to actually think.
I call it “thinking time.” And I’ve been practising it for years.
Your action this week
1. Schedule thinking time every day or at least a few days per week
Even a small amount of uninterrupted time set aside each day to think about important but not urgent aspects of our work and life can make a huge difference.
I call this time “thinking about strategic things”:
- your strategic priorities and goals
- preventive actions and building better processes
- leading people and improving relationships
- how you spend your time – and whether it reflects what matters most
- your life direction and alignment
For many leaders, mornings are the best time – either early before work or the first hour at work. For some, evenings work better. The idea is that you have this time protected each day.
Schedule it like any other meeting. Because in 99% of cases, there is nothing so urgent it cannot wait 1-2 hours.
No meetings. No email. No phone.
When approached by others during this time, you can simply say: “Unfortunately this time is already scheduled, but we can connect at a different time.”
While it might seem nearly impossible in the beginning – it is possible. And you will be glad you did it.
2. Take a full thinking day once a quarter
Each month or quarter, you might even want to take a whole day off for this purpose – to turn yourself off from the world and think not only about work, but about your life in general.
- Why am I doing what I am doing?
- What things do I need to focus my efforts on for greater impact?
- How do I develop better relationships with the people who matter most to me?
Take a walk in the park. Drive somewhere away from the buzz and pressures of the city. I like to go to the countryside or to the sea – to enjoy nature and the quietness of simple living.
John Donahoe, former CEO of eBay and Nike, did this regularly. His words:
“From time to time, I like to take a ‘thinking day.’ These are pre-scheduled, uninterrupted times to step away from the chaos, zero-base my time, and refocus on the issues that are most important.”
If a CEO of one of the world’s biggest companies could protect that time – so can you.
3. Ask the questions nobody else will ask for you
This is where thinking time becomes truly powerful. Use it to sit with the questions that never get answered in meetings:
- is our strategy still relevant?
- what are my top 3 priorities for the next 90 days – and am I actually spending time on them?
- what should I stop doing?
- where is my team stuck – and what’s my role in that?
- are we still aligned as a team on what matters most?
- what matters most to me right now – at work and beyond?
These questions don’t get answered in meetings.
They get answered in silence.
Protect that silence.
Slowing down to think is not a weakness.
In the age of AI, information overload and constant distraction – it is the best strategic thing a leader can do.
Because the leader who thinks clearly will always outperform the leader who is simply always busy.
Start today. Schedule one hour tomorrow when nobody and nothing can distract you.
See how this small change in your schedule takes you to new heights of performance – and to a less stressful life.
Cheers, Andrey Sergeyev
For short ideas on leading, living and scaling business with focus on what matters – follow me on Linkedin
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