6 small time management moves every leader should actually try
If you’ve ever looked at your calendar and thought, “Wait… how do I have 14 meetings today and still have a full inbox and three strategy decks overdue?” I get it.
Time management isn’t just about squeezing more in. It’s about protecting the right things so you can actually lead, not just react. Here are six moves I use (and recommend to every leader I know). They’ll help you get time working for you instead of the other way around.
1. Start your day by deleting something
The easiest way to get time back? Cut something. One meeting, one sync, one “quick” call that doesn’t really need you. Removing even one thing opens up space to think.
Action step: Before tomorrow kicks off, look at your calendar and find one thing to cancel, delegate, or turn into an email.
With an EA: Ask them to flag time-wasters weekly and prep a “cut or keep” list for you. That way you’re only spending time where it matters.
2. Batch the small stuff
“Quick” tasks are never quick. They break your focus and scatter your brain. Group them together instead of sprinkling them throughout the day.
Action step: Pick a 30-minute window this week, label it “admin block,” and tackle everything that takes five minutes or less. It feels shockingly good to clear the clutter in one go.
With an EA: Hand off as many of those small tasks as possible. For what’s left, let them set up your admin block and prep everything so you can fly through it.
3. Protect your thinking time like it’s a board meeting
You’re not just the chief problem-solver, you’re the strategist. Deep work is where actual progress happens, but only if you defend it.
Action step: Right now, block two hours next week for deep work. Mark it as busy. Don’t apologize for it.
With an EA: Have them schedule and protect that time, plus prep anything you need so you’re not wasting half of it digging for files.
4. Make decisions faster
Dragging out small decisions burns more energy than the decision itself. Give yourself a rule: fast calls on low-risk items, brain space reserved for the big ones.
Action step: When a minor decision comes up, set a 60-second timer. Decide. Move on.
With an EA: Ask them to prep decision briefs with the issue, options, and their recommendation. It makes that 60-second rule realistic.
5. Stop playing email ping-pong
If you’re checking your inbox every 10 minutes, you’re not leading, you’re reacting. Email will take as much space as you give it unless you set boundaries. I’m working on this same habit with Slack. I want to be available, but I don’t want it to dictate my entire day.
Action step: Choose two times tomorrow to check email. Turn off notifications the rest of the day. If it’s urgent, they’ll call.
With an EA: Forward anything that doesn’t need you. Have them triage, draft responses, and only surface what actually requires your attention.
6. Audit your energy, not just your time
Your calendar shouldn’t just reflect time, it should reflect energy. Stop scheduling your hardest work during your 3 p.m. crash.
Action step: Track your energy for three days. When are you sharp? When do you fade? Put the hard stuff in your high-energy hours and save the easy stuff for the dips.
With an EA: Share your patterns and let them build your calendar around it. A great EA will often notice your rhythms before you do.
Time management doesn’t have to mean a total overhaul. It’s small, intentional moves that protect your focus and your sanity. Try one of these this week. You might be surprised by how much shifts when you claim even a little more control over your time.
