Busy is not a badge: Why leaders need time to lead
In tech, we often wear busyness as a badge of honor. Slack notifications flood our screens and calendars fill up with back-to-back operational meetings. But there’s an uncomfortable truth: if you're a leader consistently caught up in day-to-day operations, you're NOT leading. You're managing. And there's a crucial difference.
True leadership requires space. Space to think deeply, to connect dots, to identify trends and to envision future states. Without it, leaders risk becoming bottlenecks rather than catalysts, losing sight of the strategic direction (aka the North Star), that their teams rely upon.
Consider this common scenario: a scaling tech startup has a senior director who is incredibly talented, ambitious and driven. In the early days, being hands-on made sense. But as the team expanded, her involvement in routine operational tasks, like reviewing minor product tweaks, attending every sprint event or responding to every customer complaint, began consuming all her available time.
Initially, the hands-on approach felt supportive and reassuring to her team. But gradually, a problem emerged. Her engineers, product managers and designers began feeling directionless. Questions like, “What are we ultimately trying to achieve here?” or “What’s our broader strategic objective?” became frequent. Her constant operational presence ironically created confusion rather than clarity.
This scenario isn't unusual. In tech, especially within high-growth startups, leaders often mistakenly equate activity with effectiveness. Operational involvement gives an immediate sense of productivity and achievement but it's deceptively short-lived. Without dedicated strategic thinking, the team soon hits an inevitable wall: lack of clarity, stalled progress and decreased morale. The short-term gains of micro-involvement evaporate quickly, replaced by a long-term loss of momentum.
Contrast this with a different scenario - a leader who consciously creates boundaries around operational engagement, prioritizing strategic time. Instead of being omnipresent, this leader trusts her teams to handle daily tasks, intervening only when truly necessary. She dedicates specific time each week for strategic contemplation, market & data analysis and deep dives into industry trends. Her conversations shift from day-to-day troubleshooting to future-oriented strategic dialogues. She asks questions like, “Where will our industry be in three years?” and “How do we position ourselves uniquely in a competitive landscape?” Her team feels empowered because they have clarity on their North Star and a clear understanding of their role in reaching it.
If you're a leader feeling trapped in operational quicksand, it’s essential to start reclaiming your calendar. Begin with delegation - genuinely trusting your team with execution. Remember, delegation isn’t just about offloading work; it’s an act of trust and empowerment that boosts your team's confidence and ownership.
Next, create dedicated "thinking time" blocks. These are non-negotiable hours on your calendar strictly reserved for reflection and strategic planning. Protect these fiercely; treat them as the most critical meetings of your week, because in reality, they are. During these times, disconnect from immediate tasks, reflect on your organization’s long-term vision and realign your strategic priorities.
Lastly, openly communicate the rationale behind your shift in approach. Make it clear to your team that your stepping back from daily operations isn’t about disengagement but about giving them the space and clarity to excel while you focus on steering the ship toward success.
Ultimately, being busy isn't the hallmark of great leadership. Strategic clarity and the ability to guide effectively toward a shared vision are. It’s time we stop glorifying busyness and start celebrating purposeful leadership.