Successful leaders don’t have more hours in the day than the rest of us, but they know how to use their time more effectively. They aren’t just busy; they’re productive. They’ve mastered the art of time management, focusing on what truly matters, cutting out distractions, and eliminating low-value tasks.
If you want to make the most of your day, take a page from their playbook and start making every minute count. Here’s how top leaders manage their time differently to achieve success.
Knowing your priorities is essential, but sticking to them is what sets successful leaders apart. They don’t let themselves get sidetracked by distractions or low-priority tasks. For instance, Warren Buffett follows a simple yet effective strategy: make a list of your top 25 goals, circle the five most important, and focus solely on those. The rest, he avoids at all costs.
To apply this strategy, start each day by identifying your top three priorities. These should be the tasks that will have the biggest impact on your goals. Once you’ve completed them, then consider moving on to other tasks. This approach ensures that your time is spent on activities that directly contribute to your success — not just responding to the urgent demands of others.
Decision fatigue is real, and it can eat away at your mental energy. Successful leaders know this, which is why they streamline their routines to reduce the number of decisions they have to make. Mark Zuckerberg, for example, is famous for wearing the same style of clothes daily to avoid wasting energy on wardrobe choices.
The same principle applies to other areas of life. Top leaders simplify or automate anything they can. You can do this too: Create templates for recurring tasks, automate your calendar, and set standard responses for common queries. Additionally, consider hiring a virtual assistant (VA) to take care of the mundane tasks, freeing up your mental space for more important decisions.
Leaders treat their time as their most valuable asset — and they protect it at all costs. Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, scheduled his entire day in ten-minute blocks, ensuring every minute was accounted for. This level of precision keeps him focused and helps avoid the distractions that can derail a busy day.
To manage your time more effectively, start by blocking out focused work periods on your calendar. Set clear boundaries for meetings, emails, and phone calls, which can easily consume your day. Say no to tasks and meetings that don’t align with your priorities. Be ruthless about eliminating distractions — only you can protect your time.
No successful leader ever built something great entirely on their own. They know when to delegate tasks and trust their team to take over. Jeff Bezos emphasizes the importance of making high-quality decisions quickly, and a big part of that is knowing when to hand off tasks.
Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, says, “If somebody can do something 80% as well as you would do it, delegate it!” Leaders don’t get bogged down in tasks others can handle. Instead, they focus on the tasks that only they can do, empowering their team to take ownership.
Start by identifying tasks others can take on and give them the responsibility. Building the skills and confidence of those around you will allow them to excel, even when you’re not present.
To emulate the world’s most successful leaders, you don’t need to work harder, just smarter. Set priorities and stick to them, eliminate unnecessary decisions, guard your time, and delegate effectively. By doing so, you’ll achieve more with less stress and maintain focus on what truly matters.
Take control of your time, act with intention, and you’ll soon find yourself accomplishing more in your week — with greater ease and clarity.